Cases of a Different Kind
by Shadow of Malice
Summary: With the future merging with the past, the only thing they can do is stand up to it. Can Mai finally get rid of the things that haunt her? With they finally stand United? MaixNaru and other couples.
1. Murder in Shibuya

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ It had been years since anyone had heard from the two youngest members of the team, besides Lin of course. In those five years, many things changed. People grew up and destiny weaved itself into their souls. Now, 5 years later, they reunite, in the strangest and most surprising way imaginable. NaruMai and other pairings. Swearing and mild gore. _

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Inspired by Castle and my very, very bored (awesome) self. Song inspiration is 'Not for You' by Natalie Bassingwaithe. Enjoy! _

_**Warning:**__ Mild spoilers, some swearing and not properly edited. I've tried my best! Also, there may be some OOC-ness in which a strongly apologise for, but it's only for this chapter._

**Chapter 1:** Murder in Shibuya

_The sound of slamming doors and a violent scuffle sounded through the quite building. Two figures could be seen struggling against the other through the window, the blinds acting as a mild deterrent to the scene._

_The smaller of the two went down and the sound of a gunshot filled the silent street, accompanied by smashing glass and pounding footsteps. Then, it was as if it had never happened..._

_X_

_X_

_X_

"Yo! You're up early, aren't cha?" A male voiced asked, causing the young brunette to look up from her work. Her eyes landed on a man a little older than herself, with jet black hair and emerald eyes, his warm smile causing her mouth to mimic his.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come in and do some of the filing for the chief." She replied, her usually sweet voice holding a bitter tone at the mention of her sleep. To him it was as if she was just upset of her tireless night, but what he missed was the slight shiver that ran down her spine as the dark memory of the vivid dream ran through her head like a broken record.

"That's productive. So... You hoping we get a case?" He asked, sitting in the chair on opposite her on the other side of her mahogany desk.

"I –" She tried to answer, only to have her phone start ringing. Picking it up, she listened for a while before her eyes widened and then narrowed as she placed the phone back on the receiver. "Come on. We have a case."

X

X

X

She took a tentative step toward the slightly opened door, the room beyond as dark as coal and the scent of something metallic assaulted her sensitive nose as she got closer. Raising her gun, her partner moved forward, both of them taking their places on either side of the door as a small _thud_ was heard from within. He nodded his head once to her before she took a breath and twisted to face the door. Her heeled boot clad foot quickly shotting up and slamming into the wooden object known as a door. Rushing in, guns raised, they pointed at two shadows in the back of the room where the smell seemed strongest and the female officer shouted,

"Hands where I can see em'!"

The shadows seemed to jump before their hands quickly shot into the air, fearful of the authoritative voice. The lights were suddenly turned on and it temporarily blinded the four occupants of the room. The only female of the group recovered the fastest and looked around the familiar champagne coloured room. It was vacant of all furniture except the old oak desk by the front door. On the desk was a photo frame, face down and broken glass scattered around it on the aged wood. Turning to face the two mysterious people, her arms dropped slightly in shock as she gasped.

"Na-Naru?" She asked, her eyes wide before raising the gun again.

"We said hands up!" Her partner yelled, stepping closer to the male pair, gun raised in a sure stance as he cast a weary glance at the brunette. Having shielded their eyes from the bright lights, they quickly following the repeated orders before looking up, their eyes widened as they met the familiar brown of the once very clumsy trouble magnet from years ago.

"Mai? Is that you?" The tallest of the two asked, his hands shaking slightly as he resisted the urge to go up to the girl and hug her. His wouldn't admit it aloud but he had missed the Japanese girl and other co-workers after he went back to England and to see her with a gun pointed at him was a surprise to say the least. This was definitely not the way he wanted to see her again.

The other male remained in a shocked silence as his wide blue eyes looked at her. She had matured well over the years, the black, woollen turtle neck and worn skinny jeans accentuated her curves and her heeled boots added to her height. But even with that, she was still a head shorter than him; however, her height did nothing to dampen her authoritative posture or sharp glare.

"You know these two Mai?"

Mai nodded her head once before lowering her gun slowly. She then proceeded to walked up to the two and stood infront of them, her face an emotional void as she stared; her eyes though, told a different story. They burned with countless emotions as she glanced between the two men.

"What..." She started, scowling as her voice cracked with her with held emotions. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "What are you two doing here?"

"I do own the place. Or do you have brain damage?" Naru asked, his shock quickly replaced with his usual smug attitude. The reaction he got from the comment was not what he expected. She shot him a glare before glancing at her partner who stepped forward with a pair of handcuffs in his hands.

"I have more _brain cells_ than you think Mr Davis, and as of this moment, you and Mr Koujo are under arrest." She told them, her voice cold as she watched her partner walk behind Naru and pulled the young man's arms behind his back roughly, the clicking of the cuffs signalled that they were in place before he moved to Lin.

"Is this a joke Mai?" Naru asked again, his eyes narrowing as if to say this was cheap revenge on her part. She had probably heard that he was back and just wanted to get back at him. But before she could answer, the green eyed male elbowed him roughly, causing him to take a step closer to her to keep his balance.

"Mai is lead detective in the Shibuya homicide sector in the police force. I suggest you play nice." Came a gruff voice by his ear, yet he was too focused on letting the information sink in to glare at the man behind him. Before he could say another word, he and Lin were forced from the room. Glancing over his shoulder quickly, he saw Mai lean over the bloody body, her eyes knitted together in concentration.

The stairs had been an annoying part of the walk to the lone car beside the dusty black van. The only thing signifying it as a police vehicle was the red light sitting on the dashboard behind the tinted glass. It had been on the verge of irritating when he was told to sit in the back as the door was held open. His shoulders bending un-naturally as he struggled to find a comfortable position in his seat after he was buckled in. Lin soon joined him and the detective walked around to the other side of the car and got in the front passenger seat, his door open as he placed his feet on the dash board and leaning back in his seat comfortably.

"So..." The man started, alerting the two men in the back that they were being spoken to, "You're the two Mai was always talking about..."

"What do you mean?" Surprisingly, the question had left Naru's lips, his curiosity making him temporarily forget his discomfort.

"She told me about her past... her time at high school and her work at SPR. How you just up and left. I hope you realise she hasn't spoken with the other people you all worked with since you left. She still pretty stiff lipped about most things, but she told be the basics and I pieced it together."

Lin tensed at the mention of them leaving and how blatantly he had said it. He knew Mai would have been devastated, after all she had declared her love for Naru only to have it thrown back in her face and then find out they were gone the next day. But, to have her change so much... was mind boggling.

X

X

X

The interview room was a bleak and barren room, the grey panelling making way for a door and a one way mirror. He was used to the plain style of his usual surrounding but the fact that this was a place Mai worked in seemed to tug at his conscious and irked him to no end. Even the clothes she had worn earlier when he had seen her seemed bleak and stiff for her small frame. But before he could ponder the thought of how Mai had changed, the door opened with a small _click, _and the person suffocating his thoughts walked in, a slim folder resting in her nimble fingers as she sat across from him.

"Mai." He stated in welcome, his voice lacking any emotion most would feel in his situation.

"Mr Shibuya," She replied, nodding her head before pinning him with a blank look. "What were you doing in the office this morning?"

"I was going to the building in which I work. It's not that hard to understand." He told her. Faintly, the sound of a _thud _came from behind the mirror and a vein appeared in Mai's partially revealed forehead. Raking a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath to stay calm before asking him again,

"I meant, _Mr Davis... _What were you and Mr Koujo doing in the office when there was clearly a body inside and why you didn't call the police...," It was no longer a question but a demand in which he either answered properly or was thrown into a cell until he co-operated. His eyes widened slightly at the realisation that this was no longer the Mai he knew and the memories of what happened in the car ride to the precinct replayed in his mind.

_Flash Back_

_The investigator, which they now knew was call Inspector Abari. Akito Abari, had told them about how coldly Mai had first acted when she joined the force. She had refused a partner for the first two years until she was nearly killed, at which point the Chief had forced her to team up with him._

"_How did she join the force so quickly... and the Homicide Unit for that matter?" Lin asked, Naru nodded his head in agreement to the question. There was a slight hesitation before Akito answered to two men, quickly checking to see if Mai was still inside or not before sighing and turning in his seat to face them._

"_Well, to understand that, you have to hear the whole story. But I think she should be the one to tell you the more important details... Anyway, Mai was a victim to a serial murderer in the Shibuya crossing five years ago. It was really late at night and she was pulled into a nearby alleyway by a small cafe..." He told them, watching as their eyes widened in realisation. The only coffee shop near Shibuya crossing was the one under the office. "The man was killed on sight by an unknown force, his insides were crushed and Mai was found huddled on the far side of the alley. I was the one that found her..." _

"_Five years ago... That-" Lin started, realisation shotting through him faster than a lightning and his insides felt like they were filled with lead. Wide eyed, the two males in the back seat shared a look of disbelief and regret before turning back to the police officer and silently urged him to continue. Their plea however, went unheard as the sound of heels clicking against the concrete was heard. The now older, more mature Mai walked over to the car and got in the driver seat._

"_So?" Officer Abari asked her. As if understanding his silent question, she glanced in the mirror before starting the engine and pulling out onto the busy street._

"_He's the third victim. That's a record..." She told him as she came to a stop at the street lights. This caught Naru's attention, prying a question from his lips before he could stop himself,_

"_What do you mean by third victim?" She glanced at him over her shoulder briefly before turning back to face the street as the light turned green._

"_I meant, he's the third victim this __**week. **__But we haven't found any clues and my dreams haven't been helpful in the least.__**" **__The fact made his blood freeze as he thought of the serial killer that was killed after attacking Mai. _

"_Your dreams? Mai, this morning..." Akito asked, pausing before his eyes widened and he snapped his head to the side to face her, "This morning! You knew there was another murder! That's why you were there so early! Your sleepless night was because you had another vision! It was... wasn't it Mai?"_

_But before he could get reply, she had pulled into a spot outside the station and gotten out of the car, walking to the Lin's side and opening it. She undid his seat belt before doing the same for Naru and up the stairs and walking inside, leaving the three men behind..._

_End Flash Back_

"Mr Davis? Will you answer the question or not?" Mai huffed, glaring at the man who had remained quite after her demand. Her voice seemed to snap him out of his daze however and he looked up at her, sometime during his reminiscing, his head had drooped until his gaze had hit the table surface.

"Lin and I had only just gotten to the office when we saw the door was open, so we thought it would be better to determine the severity of the situation before we called the police. By the time we found the body in the back of the room, you and Officer Abari stormed in." He explained, his voice cold but his eyes holding shock at the new side of Mai. The more demanding, strong Mai.

"Can anyone verify this?" She asked again, glancing up as the door opened and Akito walked in.

"The airport. And then the taxi driver that took us to the office." He told her. She nodded before she got up, looking at her partner before walking out. Naru cast his eyes over the other male in curiosity as he didn't follow Mai out.

"Don't worry. She believes you. She's knows it wasn't a living person that killed that man this morning." He stated, causing Naru to turn in his seat to stare in disbelief. Smirking, Akito decided to take pity on the confused man and explained, "Mai is apart of a special unit in the force for people with special abilities. Most have teams of four or more, but after what happened with you old group, she worked alone. A certain incident which nearly took her life convinced the Chief that she needed at least one partner. That partner however was someone that didn't have powers, considering that she was stronger, spiritually, that any of the larger teams. So, she got me."

"How many people make up the larger teams?" Naru asked, his usual cold, void expression filled with pure child like curiosity.

"The larger teams are made up of over eight people..."

X

X

X

**So, there was the first chapter. This story is really different to the other styles that I've written in so please review. Also, check out my other Ghost Hunt story Prank Wars. Chapter 3 involves a tutu, possession and a gay acting Naru!**

**Have a nice and safe time until my next update! Reviews make me type faster! ^.^**

**Naru: You just want reviews.**

**SOM: So what if I do? All authors want positive feedback when they work hard.**

**Naru: ... Their only reading cause they like me...**

**Mai: Naru! -points gun- Apologise before you piss her oof and she does something you won't like!**

**SOM: TOO LATE! -writes to Prank Wars / evil smile-**

**Naru & Mai: Crap... PLEASE REVIEW BEFORE SHE KILLS US!**


	2. To Hunt the Dead

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ It had been years since anyone had heard from the two youngest members of the team, besides Lin of course. In those five years, many things changed. People grew up and destiny weaved itself into their souls. Now, 5 years later, they reunite, in the strangest and most surprising way imaginable. NaruMai and other pairings. Swearing and mild gore. _

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Inspired by Castle and my very, very bored (awesome) self. Song inspiration for this chapter is 'Love the Fall' by Michael Paynter._

_**Warning:**__ Mild spoilers, some swearing and not properly edited. I've tried my best! Also, there may be some OOC-ness in which I strongly apologise for, but it's only for this chapter._

_Thank you to everyone that added my story to favourites or alert. And to the following people, thank you for reviewing;_

_Fire Kitty2812_

_Krissy2lip_

_Anonymous – Hitori15_

_Anonymous – Yume_

_RelayRando_

_-dreamingwandererofthelight-_

xSapphirexRosesxFanx

Ariana Taniyama – Thank you for telling me about Lin's name. It totally slipped my mind.

Cross-Pixie-Kiki

Heavenslilagl420

Smilingspaz

Rosebud in Amber

Hitori15

Anonymus – Anne

thearistocrat

(Sorry for any spelling mistakes)

_**Recap:**_ _"Don't worry. She believes you. She's knows it wasn't a living person that killed that man this morning." He stated, causing Naru to turn in his seat to stare in disbelief. Smirking, Akito decided to take pity on the confused man and explained, "Mai is apart of a special unit in the force for people with special abilities. Most have teams of four or more, but after what happened with you old group, she worked alone. A certain incident which nearly took her life convinced the Chief that she needed at least one partner. That partner however was someone that didn't have powers, considering that she was stronger, spiritually, that any of the larger teams. So, she got me."_

_"How many people make up the larger teams?" Naru asked, his usual cold, void expression filled with pure child like curiosity._

_"The larger teams are made up of over eight people..."_

**Chapter 2:** To Hunt the Dead

_It felt as though everything in the world was detached. Her body weightless and her equilibrium completely off point. Her vision seemed foggy, as if a haze had surrounded her like a blanket. However, this blanket was not the one a person would want around them._

_Her senses snapped back into focus in a second and she gasped at the cold that bit at her skin. Her skin crawled as her gut told her to run, to run and run and never turn back. Her gut had never done her wrong, so like many other times; she did what it told her. The sound of her feet pounding against the cold asphalt was the only other sound other than her haggard breathing._

_The night was as dark as pitch, the shadows around her clawed at her skin... which she realised wasn't her own... _

_She stopped._

_The hand infront of her was petite, yet calloused; like a childs, only it had been worked till it was thin and flaky. That's when it clicked. She was dreaming she was another person. That she was the victim. She was the one who was running for her life, which, in a short time, would be over. The thought chilled her to the bone and a shiver ran down her spine as she felt cold air wash over her._

_Snapping her head up, she looked around and recognised the street almost instantly. The small cafe to the left and a lone staircase tucked away to the side of it. A dark window on the second floor beckoned her with a false promise of refuge in which she took in a heartbeat._

_Bounding up the steps, two at a time, she caught sight of her reflection, and realisation washed through her faster than if someone were to have dumped icy water over her. Staring back at her was the face of a young man, dark hair swept to the side to cover half his face. His dark brown eyes lacked any joy, instead, they were filled with terror and ... recognition._

_Glancing back at the empty street, she lost all control of her body as she slammed through the door. Frantically, her head snapped from side to side in search of a hiding place, but the deserted and extremely dusty office offered no such leisure. That was, until her eyes landed on the lone table near the door._

_However, reluctant she was, it was her only chance, and so she dived under the lip of the table just as the door burst open, to reveal nothing..._

Gasping, Mai bolted upright, panting to regain her lost breath. Her head hung as she tried to decipher her dream without breaking out in goose bumps. She had definitely had past dreams, but none so vivid and ... disturbing. Just the pure, raw emotions she had felt were enough the scare her.

After catching her breath, she looked up, only to reel back in shock as she saw the three men in the small recreation room with her. Akito sat in an armchair to her right while the opposite sofa was occupied by the two suspected criminals. That was when her eyebrows knitted together in thought, causing her partner to laugh.

"We found you passed out in the hallway. You haven't done that in a long time. Mind explaining." It wasn't a question. He was worried and he wanted answers and he wasn't going to let her hide anything. Taking in some much needed oxygen to calm her rapid heartbeat, which had spiked as the dream replayed in her head, she sat properly in her seat and faced them.

"I had a dream. I believe I was the victim we found this morning..." She trailed off, assessing their expressions. Lin looked calm but on edge and Akito looked worried. Naru on the other hand, looked ready to punch the first unsuspecting person to cross his path. As to why, she didn't know. "I remember running down an alley, it was dark and cold. I'd have to say it was more frigid than anything, but I know it wasn't normal. So, I ended up at Shibuya Crossing, right outside the cafe."

Everyone was silent and none of them made a move towards the young women as she pieced together the pieces of her dream. She shivered as she told them how she ran up the stairs and into the office. Once she was done, they were all puzzled as to what had caused the door to open like she had told them it did. All they did know, was that they did know for certain, was that it was definitely paranormal.

"Well then... I guess I should go tell the Chief the new info and then I'm heading to the crime scene. See ya later!" With that, Akito walked out of the wood panelled room before she could protest. Gaping at the doorway as the door swung closed, she growled before closing her eyes as turning back to the other two in the room.

"So then Mai?" Lin started, relaxing in his seat in a very un-Lin-like manner. "How have you been?"

The sincerity in his voice made it impossible for her to glare at him. Sighing, she leaned back against the couch and let a small smile play on her lips.

"I've been... alright. As you can see, I've definitely made a change in my life... I'm pretty sure Akito told you what happened after you left. Am I right?" She asked. The males sat in silence before Naru finally nodded his head. Smirking, she let her head hang again, her long hair slipping over her shoulder.

"It... was a shock to say the least..." Lin told her, the solemn tone in his voice shocking her slightly.

"I have to agree to Lin, and something else Officer Abari told me is shocking as well..." Naru said, his eyes hardening until she sent him a quizzical look. "About the fact that your powers are as strong as eight people, with full control of their PK."

The statement made Lin freeze and snap his head to the brunette girl who sat stiffly across from them.

"So... If you know what happened and about my powers, maybe you can use those brains of yours to put two and two together." She stated coldly, standing from the leather couch and glaring at the wall filled with papers of missing people and old cases and newspaper clippings.

"You killed the killer. How could your powers have increased so much? You didn't even show signs of anything other than astral projection before we... left." Naru contemplated the possibilities before she let out a bitter laugh.

"You should know why very well Mr Davis. You wrote a book on it." She waited to see if he understood. After a minute, she let out an aggravated sigh before explaining, "'Any person, psychic or otherwise, may experience a revelation or awakening to either their purpose in life or dormant powers. Usually this _awakening_, is unexpected and the result is unknown until the person either understands what happened or _feel_ after the initial awakening happens. This incident occurs when the person or persons' have suffered severe emotional stress'... I think that's about right."

The two males sat in shock after Mai finished quoting one of Naru's latest books. After a minute of silence, someone cleared their throat, causing the three occupants of the room to turn around to face the doorway.

"Good evening Dr Davis, Mr Lin." The man said. He wore a baby blue office shirt with dress pants, suspenders hanging loose from his belt. He seemed no older than fifty but was actually sixty-one years old.

"Chief! Good evening!" Mai practically yelled in shock, bowing quickly from the waist. He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling warmly as she looked up.

"I told you Mai, just call me Ryo," He told her, forcing her to stand up straight and then turning to look at the other men in the room. "I have a proposition for you gentlemen."

Mai snapped her head to the side to look at her father figure as he stood calmly at her side. The sudden offer even affected the ever stoic Naru as his eyes widened. Lin sat stiffly beside his charge as he waited to hear to so called _proposition. _

"And what would this proposition be?" Naru asked, sitting forward and resting his head in the palm of his hand.

"I assume that you no longer have a place to stay." He stated, not waiting to see if it was true or not. "You are also witnesses to the case which means we must stay in close contact with you. Also, I know that Akito already told you about the special sector that Mai is apart of. Due to this, we deal with a lot of paranormal cases... However, we do not have real professionals or people with experience like Mai." Naru, Mai and Lin remained silent at the older man's words.

"What... are you getting at?" Lin asked, his voice weary at what Ryo was inquiring about.

"What I'm getting at, is that I would like to offer you a position here at the force. To be more precise, I would like you to work together with Mai. She may be talented, but she needs more people that she can relate to," He told them, earning a sharp gasp from Mai, but before she could oppose his decision, he shot her a look. "You would still be allowed to run your business and ask Mai to accompany you. I would gladly let her go. In fact, I'd make her and in return, you help us on cases of our own..." When he noticed that they were decline, he added slyly, "You'd also be paid a lot of money and your identity will remain hidden."

That seemed to catch their attention and Mai's face drained of colour, causing Naru to smirk before he stood and walked up to Ryo.

"You have yourself a deal. But, I can't help but ask, why did you inquire about our lodging?" The narcissistic man stared quizzically between Mai and her chief as the two in question stared at each other. Mai with a look of sadness and quiet rage, while Ryo had a knowing, authoritative look.

"Because as I told you, we need to stay in contact with you, to do this, you two will be living with Mai."

The sentence hung in the air like a heavy blanket that seemed to smother the young women as she struggled to form a coherent come back in protest to Ryo's decision, but the anger in her was over powered by her numbness, and the words of denial died on her tongue. Nodding sullenly, she turned to Naru and Lin before nodding.

"I'll just get my things and I'll take you home."

With that, she walked out of the room, her head hung as she thought of things that she really didn't want to acknowledge.

"Please..."

At the sudden plea that left Ryo's lips, the dark haired males looked at the older man.

"Please be good to her... She's suffered so much and only you can help her. We've tried our best, but the only people that can help her are those that left her." This time, it was Ryo who turned to them, his pale grey eyes glazed, as if he were looking _through _them instead of _at_ them. It was quiet after that, Naru pondering over the man's words. They were so cryptic but they made his chest tighten in guilt. Why though, he had no idea.

"Noll? We should go out and see if Mai needs help getting her things." It wasn't a question. Before Naru could comprehend what was happening, the older Chinese man was dragging him out of the room by his collar.

Stepping into the corridor, they saw the wood panelled walls glowed softly in the dim light. The dark oak flooring under their feet creaking slightly as they walked to the end of the hall where the light from a lamp, instead of the street light outside the window, lit a room.

Stepping into the dimly lit room, the two males saw Mai, resting in her seat, her eyebrows meeting as she focused on the document in her hands. The black manila folder, much like what Naru had used on cases, showed signs of age and continual use as she turned another page.

Looking up, she quickly stood and grabbed her bag and folder. Slipping a few loose pages into her folder and grabbing her phone off the desk, she beckoned them over.

"Do you have your luggage with you or did you leave it at the office?" She asked, her voice straining with hidden emotions.

"We left it outside the office door. But we can wait until-" Lin started to explain only to be cut off as Mai raised her hand and shook her head.

"We'll get it now. I have to drive by on the way home anyway." She told them, closing her eyes before opening the top draw of her desk and pulling out a gun with a flashlight attached. "Better to be safe than sorry, ne?"

After she turned off the light, she led them out of the building and half way down the block. They passed multiple groups of people that waved in greeting to Mai. Each step she took made her shoes click and it acted like a magnet, drawing Naru attention to the women he barely knew.

Her long hair swayed from on top of her head from a high ponytail, the end brushing against the middle of her black shirt clad back. Her laugher echoing in his ears as she returned the welcome gestures from other pedestrians with an upbeat attitude, which seemed rather forced to him. He caught on to the fact that when she turned to smile at passers' by, it wouldn't reach her eyes. He found himself missing the warm glow that used to shine in her eyes whenever she spoke to people.

"-ru? Naru? Naru!"

Snapping out of his daze, said man blinked lazily before focusing on the person who had been calling him.

"Yes Mai?"

"I asked if you were going to get in the car anytime soon." She told him, her hands resting on her hips as she tapped her foot impatiently. Her lips were pulled into a slight pout and her brows knitted together as she waited for him. He then noticed he was standing next to a slim, silver convertible that was so dark in shade that if you didn't look closely, you'd think it was black. The cover was lowered to show Lin seated in the back, looking around the street as if he was completely oblivious to the two young adults beside him.

"This is yours?" He asked, getting into the front passenger seat as Mai got in the driver's side. Buckling up, she nodded before starting the engine. It roared to life and she zipped out into the street in seconds, not even checking for other cars. "Are you trying to kill us?"

She just shot him a look that said _shut up or walk. _It took a total of five minutes to reach the old SPR office. Unbuckling, Mai opened her door and got out, glaring when the sound of two other belts unlatching sounded through the quiet night.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked them, her glare intensifying when Naru just scoffed at her and got out of the convertible.

"Really Mai? It's well past nine and your heading to a dark office in which a mysterious, possible ghost caused a murder just a few hours ago. Do you honestly think we're just going to let you go alone?" The tone he used made her anger dissipate as she let out an exasperated sigh as she pulled a gun from her belt and turned on the torch under the muzzle.

"Then stay behind me and don't make a sound."

The three of them walked up the steps and what they found shocked them...

The door was smashed open, splinters lay scattered on the concrete floor among the torn remains of the police tape. A light shuffling came from inside the darkness of the office beyond and Mai took a tentative step forward, her heel clicking before an arm grabbed hers. Shotting a glare at the offending limb, she followed it up to the owner of said 'offending limb'. Naru gazed at her with a hard look, his stoic expression cracked ever so slightly to reveal the concern he held for her. Her glare softened before she let a small smile break her own hard looks.

"I'll be fine Naru. But if it makes you feel better... here," She gently pulled her arm from his hold and reached into her jacket which he didn't remember her putting on, it swept around her ankles as she pulled a gun from its inner pocket and handed it to him, "You do know how to shoot, right?"

He nodded stiffly before grabbing the small metal revolver. Glancing at Lin, she stepped into the dark office, moving out of the doorway so that they could walk in too...

**X**

**X**

**X**

**THE END! Not! I don't remember if I gave Mai a jacket, so please bare with me. Anyway, on with the story! Who's ready to bring in more characters? ^.^**

**X**

**X**

**X**

"Mai!" Two twin yells came from _within _the dark room. She felt, more than saw, Naru and Lin walk in behind her. Raising her gun so that her torch lit up the office room... Only to gasp loudly at the scene infront of her.

Monk stood a few feet ahead of her, a dusty chair held over his head as if he were about to throw it at her. Behind him, her purse clutched tightly in her hands, was Ayako.

"Monk? Ayako?" She asked, praying to any higher power listening to say this was a cruel joke. After five years of no communication with the old S.P.R group, she reunites with not one, but _four _of the members... Fate had a twisted sense of humour...

"Mai!' Ayako gasped in shock, "Don't wave that thing at us. Do you even know how to use it?"

Scoffing, Mai rolled her eyes before turning her torch to the wall and flicking the light switch by the door. The bright light, for the second time that day, blinded everyone in the room. The champagne coloured walls making the area that much brighter. With the darkness dealt with, Mai turned her torch off and holstered her gun.

"Ms. Matsuzaki. Takigawa. May I ask what you are doing in my office?" Naru questioned them, his glare going unnoticed by Monk. There was an odd silence between the group, before Mai's head twisted sharply to the door of Naru's door.

"Everyone! Outside, now!" She yelled, watching as the gold CEO plate on the wood began to shake.

"Wha-" Monk started, only to be bodily dragged across the room and toward the broken doorway. Her tried to pull away but all his attempts were stopped when he caught sight of her glare, the silent plea showing clearly in her amber eyes. Their route remained undeterred until they tried to step through the doorway... only to be stopped by an invisible force.

"Ow! What the hell?" Ayako exclaimed. Just as she was about to reach forward, Lin was beside her, his palm flat against the 'invisible force'. It was as if someone had placed a glass screen across the doorway while they were busy trading questions. Before another word could be uttered though, the lights went out and the temperature dropped dramatically.

"We're not alone..." Was the last thing to leave Mai's mouth before all hell broke loose...

X

X

X

**:s **

**I'm sorry (for editing and length). It's not a long chapter like I really wanted but I didn't want to make it one of those stories were it keeps on going. Plus, I wanted to see the outcomes to what you think to my cliffhanger. I'm not evil, I'm just very, very devious. ^.^**

**Anyway, I thought I'd take this time to tell you all that I have a Facebook page for my author name. Just type in the search bar Shadow of Malice and the page should come up as a community. I give updates and answer questions on it. I'll also be giving special sneak peeks in comments, so it's worth checking out.**

**Also, I'm sorry for the late update, but I've been trying really hard at school and the teachers are merciless. I've already had 4 assessments and tests and it's only the 6****th**** week of school. Oh well, I'll try update as fast as I can, but half yearly tests are just around the corner. Wish me luck and please review! I know a lot of people have added this story to alerts, so please, just take a second and... wait for it...**

**!PRESS THE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN!**

**Mai: Stay safe until next time. Stay tuned to Cases of a Different Kind. Ohh. This is about to get interesting.**

**Naru: Anything is interesting to you. –rolls eyes-**

**Mai: -click- Wanna say that when I've got a gun in my hands? Really Naru?**

**Naru: ...**

**Monk: Hey! I'm finally in the story!**

**SOM: It's only the second chapter... –sweat drop-**

**Ayako: Well, he can't stand not being the centre of attention. Kinda like Naru... only, not.**

**Naru: -glare-**

**Mai: Oh, you know it's true.**

**SOM: Anyway... Why they sort that out... Please review. ;) It helps me update!**


	3. Painful Remedies

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ It had been years since anyone had heard from the two youngest members of the team, besides Lin of course. In those five years, many things changed. People grew up and destiny weaved itself into their souls. Now, 5 years later, they reunite, in the strangest and most surprising way imaginable. NaruMai and other pairings. Swearing and mild gore. _

_Inspirational Author for this chapter is mytruthaboutlife. Love her work! ^.^_

_This chapter is also dedicated to my sister Amity-Star. The last time I updated was her birthday and forgot to mention it, so now, I'm making up for it._

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Inspired by Castle, you awesome readers and my very, very bored self. Song inspiration for this chapter is 'I'm sorry' by Flyleaf._

_**Warning:**__ Mild spoilers, some swearing and not properly edited. I've tried my best! Also, there may be some OOC-_ness in which I strongly apologise for, but it's only for this chapter.

_Recap: __"Ow! What the hell?" Ayako exclaimed. Just as she was about to reach forward, Lin was beside her, his palm flat against the 'invisible force'. It was as if someone had placed a glass screen across the doorway while they were busy trading questions. Before another word could be uttered though, the lights went out and the temperature dropped dramatically._

"_We're not alone..." Was the last thing to leave Mai's mouth before all hell broke loose..._

Chapter 3: Painful Remedies

The classic clique of poltergeist activity was normal to the people in the dark office. The sound of knocking coming from nowhere in particular, the drop in temperature so drastic that they could see their breath, and moving objects. This, as stated before, was a normal occurrence for them.

However, this time was a bit different. While the activity usually came together, it was never so abrupt. Objects shattered upon impact on the wall and showered the ground in sharp debris. The five occupants of the room dodged to the best of their ability while trying to keep an eye on each other as things were thrown to and fro across the room.

Monk and Ayako were cornered behind Mai's old desk, using the wooden table as a shield while Lin stood before it, ducking under the flying projectiles. But unlike their elders, the two remaining stood in the middle of the dark room, their only warning of any objects heading toward them was by the sharp whistle of wind.

Mai clutched her shoulder, having been hit roughly with a hard object. Naru meanwhile tried to stop anything else from getting to her when they couldn't get out of the way. His arm was slung over her shoulders, carefully avoiding the injured one, and stuck close to the ground.

"This is crazy!" Monk yelled over the racket, yelping in shock as the desk started shaking.

"Then do something!" Ayako screeched, her back pressed against the wall. Snapping out of his shock, Takigawa started chanting, his voice growing louder in desperation as the table finally lifted into the air. It swung towards them abruptly before changing direction. Lin had to drop straight to the floor in an effort to keep his head attached to his body as the large piece of wood furniture hit the ground. The paranormal force pushing it made it slide along the floor and barrel straight into the two young adults who couldn't move out of its way.

They were slammed harshly into the opposite wall before having the weight of the desk ram into their battered bodies. Mai let out a small yell as Naru grunted, their feeble attempts to push the offending objects of halted by the pain that set in.

A chorus of shouts rang across the now silent room. The temperature rose to a normal level and the lights flickered before coming back to life again. The whole ordeal had lasted only a matter of seconds, yet it seems that was all it took to get the message across.

The ghost was pissed... and it wanted a release.

"Why me?" Mai moaned as Takigawa and Lin pulled the table away. Sliding down the wall, she let out a sigh before blinking at the hand on her shoulder. Following the familiar, black clad arm to its owner, she gazed at him curiously before her eyes widened at his question.

"Are you alright Mai?" He asked, reaching down to pull her up. The motion jostled her shoulder and she let a squeak of pain before leaning against the wall. She heard a gasp and looked to Ayako, who in turn was looking at the brunettes' arm. Following the red heads gaze, she cringed at the sight of her limb.

Her shirt was torn and she could see blood leak down from her shoulder through the torn material, a dark purple- green bruise already forming around the fresh cut.

"We have to go before we help anyone... and before that... thing comes back." Monk thought out loud, getting a collective nod from everyone in the room. They all made their way out before Mai stopped by the door.

"Lin. Your luggage is here. Better grab it now."

The aforementioned man nodded quickly before grabbing the bags, and walking hurriedly down the stairs.

"Do you have a car Mai? Me and Ayako walked here so..." Monk started, only to be stopped by Mai's glare. He gulped as he realised he had let something slip.

"Yes I have a car and you have some explaining to do." She told him, sighing as she unlocked her car before popping the boot for Lin. "Get in."

With that, everyone piled into her convertible as she started the engine. Grunting, she bit back the urge to gasp in pain as her shoulder throbbed.

"Should you be driving?" Ayako asked from her seat in the back. Her only answer was a sharp nod before the car pulled away from the office and sped down the deserted road.

"So... you went to the office for a reason. Why?' Mai questioned, stopping at the stop lights, quietly asking Naru for her spare gun again.

It was silent the whole time that Mai drove. It took roughly ten minutes before she pulled up to a tall, expensive looking building.

"Is this your place Mai?" Monk asked stepping out of the car and holding the door open for both Ayako and Naru, though he really wanted to slam it on the latter just to spite him, but he smothered the urge.

"Yes. Now come on. I've got space for everyone and I think it would be nice to relax a bit." She explained, nodding as the doorman opened the entryway for them and they followed her to an elevator. It dinged open and they stepped inside as Mai pressed a button to one of the higher levels.

By the time it got to their destination, an awkward, almost uncomfortable silence had fallen over the group. The only noise came from the wheels on the suitcases, and Mai's keys.

In the long hallway, only two doors led to apartments - one on either side. The other doors were for cleaning supplies and the like. They took in the lush red carpet and champagne coloured walls as Mai slipped her key one into of the doors and pushed it open, stepping out of the way so that the others could step in.

They were in awe at what they saw.

Dark cherry wood floors glistened in the light that was supplied from the built in lighting from the ceiling. A deep red lounge set sat in an 'L' shape off the one side infront of a fireplace, flat screen and glass coffee table. To the right of that, running parallel to the corridor on the other side of the wall, was a small hallway that led to multiple doorways. To the right of them, opposite the sitting area, was a kitchen filled with stainless steel appliances and a light wood dining table surrounded by matching chairs. A black marble island separated the cooking area from the table; the stools around it matching the colour of the dining table. Straight ahead of the group was a large, glass wall with scarlet curtains only partially pulled closed. Infront of the glass surface was an oak desk and bookcase off to the side.

"Wow..." Was all Ayako could say as she stepped inside. That's when she caught sight of the staircase tucked away to the side of the window wall, the railing being the only give away to the existence of the steps. "Where does that go?"

Mai took off her jacket and threw it over a dining chair before staring at the open balcony room at the top of the stairs.

"That is where you'll be staying... Now that you're witnesses to my case..." She told the self-acclaimed priestess, earning a collective gasp for the red head and blonde bassist.

"What do you mean 'your case'? Mai, what's going on?" Monk questioned the young women as she walked to the steel refrigerator and pulled it open. She started placing things on the counter beside her before she stood up and answered.

"I don't really feel like explaining again, so... Naru? Lin? Do you mind telling them while I start dinner? If you need any extra answers, maybe then I'll tell you if you ask. Oh! Here's the first aid kit Ayako." With that, the next half an hour went by full of loud comments, clanging pots, lots of disinfectant and pointless questions.

"Ok. So, Mai killed the killer. Then people started dying there with no apparent cause-" Monk started, only to be corrected by Mai.

"The ghost is possessing people."

"Fine then... You killed the killer, the ghost possessed people so it could kill the living and now the thing is killing a lot faster than before... Why do you think it's the murderer that tried to get you Mai?" The question made her freeze as she stirred the pot of soup, before she cleared her throat and finished cooking.

"In the last few years, my abilities have grown... Mainly after _that _night... But, though Akito says I'm as strong as a large group of multi-talented physics, I can't willingly control it and if I'm not careful, it could very well kill me. That night, I was rushed to hospital after Akito found me and I was in a coma for three days. After that, I was offered a place in a special police unit... That is, if I was interested." She told them, pouring the stew into bowls and placing them on the table. After grabbing a bowl of rice and bread rolls, she put them in the middle of the dining table too before motioning everyone over.

Each of them took their seats; Ayako and Monk on one side, Lin and Naru taking the ones across from them. Mai sat at the head of the table. When the others hesitated, Mai quietly took a bread roll and spooned some rice into a dish before she started to eat. Following her lead, Monk lifted his spoon and took a mouthful of the steaming, brown soup. After a few seconds, his eyes widened before his head snapped to Mai.

"This is delicious!" He called, taking another mouthful. Ayako and Lin soon followed suit before Naru finally joined in. Within minutes, the food was gone and Monk let out a content sigh. "That was great Mai. How'd you learn to cook?"

The question, like many others that night, had brought on an awkward silence before the young officer cleared her throat and stood, collecting the plates before putting them in the sink. Once she gathered the last of the dirty dishes she started cleaning them.

"I am an orphan you know Monk. I think it's a necessity to know how to cook. The only reason it's good is probably because I've done it for so long." She explained, chuckling before drying her hands on a tea towel. "So. Who wants tea?"

The question seemed rather stupid considering Naru's tea habit had worn off on everyone. Turning her back to them, she briefly mentioned to them that they could move to the lounge and pulled open a draw and began making the warm drink.

The four other occupants of the room stood from the now clean table and shuffled across the polished wood floor. Naru sat closest to the fireplace with Lin taking the armchair. Ayako and Monk sat facing the fireplace, their back facing the kitchen.

"Did any of you every think that Mai would live in a place like this?" Ayako asked, her eyes roaming the room, trying her best to take in every detail.

"It does seem odd. But if her career is successful, it would not be surprising." Lin answered, his eyes focused on the young man he had been working with for years. His expression softened as he saw the young man's glazed eyes. Obviously, Naru was caught up in his own thoughts to have not made some kind of degrading remark. No matter how old Naru got, he was still Naru.

"Well, this _is _Mai you're talking about. She can do anything if she really wants to. Might explain her school grades..." Monk said, only to let out a nervous laugh as he felt someone stand behind him. Turning in his seat, he saw Mai, the topic of their conversation, glaring at him, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping in an impatient manner.

"So nice to know how much confidence you held for my intelligence Monk." She hissed, but the hint of a laugh made the hidden threat meaningless. Turning around, she walked quickly back to the dining table and grabbed a tray before walking around the lounge and placing the tea cups on the coffee table. "Take your pick. It's herbal, so it'll be easier to sleep."

Naru was the first to sit forward and grab a tea cup, taking a quick whiff of the clear brown concoction before taking a sip of the warm liquid. What he said shocked them all, "Thank you Mai. It tastes better than I remember."

"Y-your welcome..." She stuttered, taking a cup before sitting next to him on the couch in a daze. Her shocked stated didn't even allow her to be angry at herself for stuttering.

"So..." Monk started, placing down his empty cup. " Now that we're _witnesses, _can you tell us exactly what's going on?"

She took a moment to ponder this before she got up and moved to the door were she left her bag. Grabbing the dark material container, she took it back to her seat before she pulled out the black manila folder she had been reading earlier and gingerly opened it as her shoulder throbbed.

"Before me, Haruki Ayumu had raped and killed over twenty-six people; both female _and _male. Each murder took place around the vicinity of Shibuya Crossing." She told them, pulling out a picture of Ayumu. "He was thirty-two when I killed him."

This word _kill _caused them to stiffen before turning their full attention to the picture. In the photo was a middle aged man with stringy, black hair and thick beard. His eyes were droopy but held such hate that they looked almost hollow.

"He was convicted multiple time for abuse, violence and aggravated assault. But each time, the worst he got was six months in jail."

"Mai?" Naru asked, his gaze trained solely on her as she turned to look, nodding her head. "Why are you telling us so much?"

The simple question confused the eldest members of the room before Mai scowled before shifting her gaze to the fireplace; finding the mosaic work to be quite interesting.

"You made a deal with the Chief... Remember? I work with you and you work with me. That's how it goes. I get a paranormal case and you'll be there and vice versa. Ryo... He always worries about me... But anyway, that's why I'm telling you _everything._" The explanation took a while to sink in before Ayako finally realised what was going on.

"Wait a minute! Does that mean we're going to have to work with dead bodies?" She screeched, standing from her seat and ignoring Monk's tugging to get her to sit back down.

"If you didn't notice Ms. Matsuzaki, but we've worked with dead bodies before. Only this time, most of them won't be _just _bones." Naru told the red head, his sentence punctuated by a loud clap of thunder. Following the ever dramatic circumstances of a serious situation, the lights flickered before completely dying.

"Well, that's a good way to make things more dramatic..." Monk moaned, sitting back and stretching out. He groaned when a rather loud '_pop' _echoed through the room, causing Ayako to roll her eyes before focusing them back on her daughter figure.

"Anyway..." Mai started, noticing that, aside from Monk, everyone was waiting for her to continue. "After he died, it was peaceful for about a year or so. In that time, I had joined the police force and undergone special training. Akito was my guardian during that time, I think it became a habit. He makes sure my powers don't go out of control."

Hearing this, Naru was reminded of how Lin used to act and how Gene yelled at him now when the Chinese man wasn't around.

"It was weird at first. It was just one dead body in the middle of the street, their bodies were smashed." She told them grimly, but before they could ask, it was as if she read their minds. "And no, it wasn't a car that did it. The force in which they were hit...liquefied their internal organs..."

Horrified looks gazed at her as she finished explaining, yet it was about to get worse. They could feel it.

"That wasn't the worst... In the time span of four years, fifteen bodies have been found around Shibuya. Each killed in a more violent, discrete way. The only thing is, two bodies are found within a two day span, roughly two or so blocks from the first murder and somewhere close to Shibuya Crossing."

The statement took a few seconds to seep in until Naru asked the question on everyone's mind,

"But two bodies? And you said that people were being possessed for the killings then..."

"Yes." She nodded, her face devoid of emotion and she put down her empty tea cup. "Those found to be the possessed killer were found to have committed suicide. The weapon used for the murder was what they used."

"Ok. So the ghost uses someone and then kills them. You said it's gotten worse. Three kills this week. So then... one victim and one possessed killer, if you guys found someone dead in SPR this morning... Then..." Monk started, only to be cut off when Mai's phone started ringing.

"Yes?" She answered, nodding her head, she hung up before turning to face the others, pinning them with a knowing look. "They just found another body. Shot himself in the head a block from the office."

With that, Mai stood from her seat and gathered the cups before gently picking up the tray.

"So, if we're gonna stay here, could you show us where we're gonna sleep?" Monk asked, yawning loudly before Ayako hit him in the head, muttering something about manners and how males lacked them.

"Sure. Just follow me." Mai told them, moving to the stairs, her heels clicking with every step. "You and Ayako can get some cloths and stuff tomorrow, but for now you'll just have to deal with what you have."

The four guests made it to the top and gazed around. The same polished wood covered the floor and the balcony like room gave a clear view of the fireplace, kitchen and everything imbetween. Another wall of glass stood partially hidden behind dark red curtains to their left. The open area held a bunch of folded material and shelves and draws hugged the wall opposite to them. Beside the shelves were two doors.

Walking to the one closest to the shelves, Mai pulled the door open and began pulling things out. Once she was done, the once folded pile of material was hidden.

"Monk. Could you take the cushions off the couch please?" Mai asked and began rummaging in the closest again. This time however, she pulled out crisp white pillows.

"It's done Mai."

"Ok. Now..." She thought out loud, making her way around the blankets and pillows and toward the blonde bassist. "We just have to pull this out."

With the two of them, they got the pull out bed set up and Ayako helped put on the required bedding.

"So, that's for you and Monk," Mai told them. The self acclaimed priestess sputtered before huffing, a blush decorating her cheeks. "And now we just need to set you guys up."

Again, the built in closet became her foraging ground as she got on her knees, the sound of metal scrapping against the wood flooring accompanying her movements. When she stood up, she pulled out three folded futons and spread them out.

"These will be your beds," She gestured, toward the two closest the couch. "Feel free to pick your sheets. I'll be back."

Nodding silently, Naru watched as she walked off, down the stairs and disappeared from sight.

"It doesn't look like she really uses the place, does it?" Ayako asked, curiosity getting the better of her as she opened the second door. This door led to a moderately sized bathroom, which she figured out after she flicked the light switch.

"See you found the bathroom."

Spinning around, Ayako saw Mai at the top of the stairs. She had changed into a set of black pyjama pants and a white long sleeved shirt.

"Don't scare me like that Mai!" The red head screeched, only to realise that the brunette was no longer paying attention. Instead, she was fixing up the last futon before lying down on it, her phone resting on the mattress beside her pillow.

"You guys can use the bathroom and get ready for bed. If you get thirsty, just go to the kitchen, I left the wall lights on, so it won't be too dark, night." With that, she pulled the blanket up to her chin and promptly fell asleep, ignorant to the looks the other occupants of the room sent at her.

_She was in the office again; the same body as before and the same terror racing through her system. She was under the table and like last time, the door burst open to show that no one was there, the late winter air rushing into the room, backing the temperature drop several degrees. But after a few minutes, she realised that the temperature kept dropping and she looked behind her to see an older man with light brown hair and kind green eyes that showed an inner struggled was being waged._

_Acting on instinct, she stood up and tried to run, only to be pulled back and slammed against the table. She struggles with the taller man before being punched in the stomach. As she struggled to catch her breathe, she leaned against the table before looking up... only to come face to face with the barrel of a gun..._

_All she heard after that was two loud bangs and everything went black..._

_X_

_X_

_X_

_**SOM: OHH! Another cliffy! What do you think will happen? Well, review and I just may answer! **_

_**Naru: They don't need to review because this chapter sucked...**_

_**SOM: No it didn't... Not really. It's a semi filler chapter so that all the extra stuff could get out of the way and the story could go much faster. It was necessary, but I still apologise if it was boring. –bows-**_

_**Mai: It's not that bad. Besides, I have a cool place to live.**_

_**SOM: That's true. And for any readers that got kinda confused with my description then go the my community page on Facebook and I'll posted pictures of it if you want. (I made it in SIMS3) If not, I'll leave it to your imagination.**_

_**Ayako: We'd also like to thank everyone that reviewed. Please scroll to the bottom of the page – It's important!**_

_**Monk: Those people are;**_

Fire Kitty2812

Krissy2lip

Anonymous – Hitori15

Anonymous – Yume

RelayRando

_-_dreamingwandererofthelight-

xSapphirexRosesxFanx

Ariana Taniyama

Cross-Pixie-Kiki

Heavenslilagl420

Smilingspaz

Rosebud in Amber

Hitori15

Anonymus – Anne

thearistocrat

bbhelen3162

DramaXLifesXAdventure – Sorry. I didn't want to incure your wrath so I typed this as fast as I could. Hope you liked it!

smilingspaz

missyangel87

Amu Rose Cross

**Lin: We would also like to thank everyone that added this story to alerts and would appreciate more reviews. Stay safe.**

**Mai: Did.. Lin just?**

**SOM: o.o**

**Naru: Crap... **

**Monk and Ayako: He actually spoke this time! **

**Mai: Is this normal?**

**Naru: No Mai. This means that the world will end... **

**SOM: Well, then. Until the world ends, stay tuned and please leave a review!**


	4. Case One of Many

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ It had been years since anyone had heard from the two youngest members of the team, besides Lin of course. In those five years, many things changed. People grew up and destiny weaved itself into their souls. Now, 5 years later, they reunite, in the strangest and most surprising way imaginable. NaruMai and other pairings. Swearing and mild gore. _

_The story behind Mai's current living quarters is explained in this story as some of you were a little confused about it. I can understand why, I'm confused about it myself, but, guess that's what happens when you write while your sugar high. (: _

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Inspired by Castle and my very, very bored (awesome) self. Song inspiration for this chapter is 'We R who We R' by Kesha ._

_**Warning:**__ Mild spoilers, some swearing and not properly edited. I've tried my best! Also, there may be some OOC-_ness in which I strongly apologise for, but it's only for this chapter. BETTER CHAPTER THAN THE LAST!

Suggest reading the chapter in 3/4 or 1/2. More suspence. ;)

Recap: _She was in the office again; the same body as before and the same terror racing through her system. She was under the table and like last time, the door burst open to show that no one was there, the late winter air rushing into the room, backing the temperature drop several degrees. But after a few minutes, she realised that the temperature kept dropping and she looked behind her to see an older man with light brown hair and kind green eyes that showed an inner struggled was being waged._

_Acting on instinct, she stood up and tried to run, only to be pulled back and slammed against the table. She struggles with the taller man before being punched in the stomach. As she struggled to catch her breath, she leaned against the table before looking up... only to come face to face with the barrel of a gun..._

_All she heard after that was two loud bangs and everything went black..._

Chapter 3: Case one of many

It was early when her phone started vibrating beside her pillow on the wood floor... too early for her liking. However when she saw who was calling, she groaned before lurching into an upright position and picking up the sleek black phone.

"Morning Chief." She answered with a yawn, unaware of the pair of eyes watching her. "Oh yea... About that. We had a small incident and we now have two more witnesses... Yes. I'll need the reports and the papers by the time I get there, in about an hour or two... Ok. See you later sir."

With a small sigh, she stretched before standing from her futon, only then realising someone was watching her. Turning to her left, she saw Naru looking up at her from his position on the floor, his eyes dancing with an emotion she couldn't place.

"I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say we are required to go with you today, right?" He asked, sitting up in more elegant way than what Mai had done.

"Hmm. Yea. I'm going downstairs to get ready and then I'll start breakfast. Do you mind waking the others and getting ready. We need to stop by their place so they can change." She told him, making her way to the staircase.

"What of Lin?" Naru asked, the silent curiosity as to why she didn't mention the older Chinese man, getting to him.

"He's awake. He always is. So, you two should take the opportunity to get cleaned up. Towels are in the bathroom. Come down once you're done." She said, glancing at the pull out bed before smirking and chuckling quietly as she descended out of view.

"Well, what do you know?" Lin asked, shocking the younger man, though he didn't show it. He was a narcissist after all. "She's grown up. Seems s he's learnt a lot in the past few years."

Turning to look at the only other persons in the room, Naru watched as Lin stood from his bed and made his way to his luggage, pulled a few articles out and made his way to the bathroom.

A few minutes later had Monk rubbing his head after he was pushed off the bed by an angry Ayako who was complaining that it was far too early. The blonde bassist mumbled something about _beauty sleep_ and _old women, _which earned him another smack to his already injured head. He whined about being abused and it didn't seem like it would stop until the smell of cooking food filled the air.

"Oh wow! That smells delicious!" He exclaimed, jumping up from the floor and bolting down the stairs. "Mai!"

The yell was followed by a small scream and the sound of metal hitting something soft, which casue someone to groan in pain before a loud _thump _met their ears. The three individuals on the second level balcony room looked at each other before simultaneously running down to the kitchen.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" They heard Mai cry. But they couldn't see her until they walked around the marble island. To their surprise, they found Mai kneeling beside a moaning Monk who held a hand to his nose while red liquid spilt through his fingers.

One of Mai's hands fluttered over the older man's face while her other held a firm grip on a frying pan; which in this case, had been used as a weapon. She looked close to tears before he finally responded.

"I'b fine Mai. I'th ok." He tried to say, his bloody nose halting any further attempt at communication.

"It's just like he said. He'll be fine. Aren't you forgetting about something though Mai?" Ayako asked, kneeling on the other side the dazed Monk and swatting away his hands. The young brunette squeaked before jumping up and taking the food off the stove. She oiled the frying pan before placing it on the warm hot plate and then cracked a few eggs into the heated surface of the metal utensil.

Scoffing at the bassist, Naru took a seat at the kitchen island as he watched Mai cook. He was shocked at how much she had changed and a question related to the change had been nagging at him. He knew the others were thinking the same thing as him too, so like any human, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Mai?" He asked. She hummed in response. "How could you afford this place?"

The question made her freeze before she sighed.

"I was wondering when you'd ask." She stated, separating the food onto the plates Lin had set out. She didn't know when he had done it but she was grateful none the less. "I'm guessing you wouldn't believe me if I told you I got it on my police salary alone. I wouldn't blame you either... but it's the truth."

Her words caused his curiousity to peak and he lifted one of his finely shaped eyebrows to show he was interested.

"Because of my powers, I was given compensation for training and the test that I had to take. After I started working, depending on the case, incidents, extra training and such, I got more money. After four years, it just added up I guess. I only just got the place about a week ago."

"So... the harder and more dangerous a case was, the more you got paid..." Monk mused, having cleaned up the blood and taking a seat at the kitchen island and thanking Mai as she placed a plate infront of him. "But then... to afford this place..."

She smiled at her brother figure before grabbing a bowl and placing a few warm bread buns from the oven in it and then placing it on the table.

"It's what I wanted to do. I wanted to keep myself occupied. Now, SPR is back, sure I still have to work for the police, but I think I can find myself again..."

"Mai. Why didn't you tell us?" Ayako asked. The brunette in question fiddled with the hem of her red turtle neck shirt, her boot clad foot tapping the floor in an uneven pace.

"Well... I was an orphan before SPR. Then I had a family again. To lose that... to lose my family again... it brought back all the pain. But I think I was mostly angry at myself for getting used to it..." She bit her lip in an effort to hold the tears at bay. "I couldn't think clearly and then, I was working again and I didn't have time. But, it's over now."

The only sound in the room came from Mai as she sat on the opposite side of the island from them and ate her food, her long hair held back in a loose ponytail.

'_**She really has been through a lot...**__'_

Naru jumped at the new voice in his head, earning himself a curious look from Lin. He just shook his head at the older man before eating his own food.

'_**Noll... Please. Don't ignore her...'**_

'_Gene. I... I'm not going to. I'm not sure I'd even want to try anymore...'_

His thought shocked him but he smiled slightly, a _true _smile, as he finished his food. He continued to ponder the new change in his logic when the girl responsible for the change snapped him back to reality.

"Naru. Come on. We have to go." She told him as she walked by, grabbing her keys from the bowl by the door before slipping into her coat and grabbing her bag.

'_There's no point in staying mad or being depressed.' _She thought, taking Naru's coat from the rack and handing it to him as he came close. _'Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe we can be like before...'_

After locking the door, they waited for the elevator and then stood in silence as they waited to reach the ground floor. Well, it _was _silent until Naru decided to change that fact.

"Mai? Are you... alright... working with SPR again... and with us working on your cases?" The question shocked her as he watched her, waiting for her response.

She turned to him, a puzzled look crossing her features before she smiled. He felt his cheeks colour and hoped she didn't notice, however, his wishes weren't met as she giggled into her hand.

"You bet! It's going to be so much easier now and Akito can finally stop worrying about me and focus on his fiancée." She told him, grinning as the elevator doors opened. He was glad that she was no longer acting cold and distant to him but was slightly suspicious as the why she had changed so suddenly. Walking out the front door, the doorman nodded to them as Mai bid him good and continued down the street. He suddenly realised they others weren't with them due to his lack of a headache.

"Where are Lin and the others?" He asked, his _high-and-mighty _attitude all but disappearing as he fell into step beside with the short women and became comfortable, shoving his hands into his deep pockets.

"I gave Lin the keys to my car so that he could take Ayako and Monk to their apartment. We'll meet up with them at the scene. Hope you don't mind walking." She said, glancing at him as they waited to cross the road.

"I don't mind... It's nice." He told her, allowing a small smile to show on his face. "You said that Akito was engaged. Why do you want him to spend more time with her? Besides the obvious reason."

She was shocked (again), by the fact that he was willing to converse _and _smile, but she wrote it off as to the fact that he didn't need to worry about finding his brothers body.

"Well, because of the fact that he was my guardian, he didn't get to spend a lot of time at home. Even now that I'm older, he worries too much which still keeps him from spending time with her. The main reason I want him to take time off is because his fiancée is three months pregnant. Now that I'm going to be working with you guys again, I can try to convince him to do so."

He hummed in response as they finally came within view of the office/ Police walked around and kept people away from the staircase leading to the second level. Those that were curious enough sat outside the coffee shop on the ground floor, trying their best to act normal. As the two young adults got to the taped off stairway, another officer glared at them from the cafe doorway.

"Excuse me. This is an area for authorised personnel only." He told them, acting as if he was disgusted by them.

"Well then. Excuse us." Mai hissed, glaring back at the man as he came closer. "But my name is Mai Taniyama. Lead detective on this case. He's my partner Kazuya Shibuya and I must ask _you _to step aside."

The officer sputtered when he saw her badge, apologising quickly before rushing away from the pair, giving them access to the steps.

"I take it you know him then?" Naru questioned, stopping in the doorway to his old work place. Only now did he see the full extent of the damage from the night before and he winced as he caught site of the drops of blood on the floor and over some pieces of ceramic in the centre of the room. He also noticed the rough drag marks that lead to the splintered table with even more drops of blood on it.

Mai subconsciously clutched her shoulder as she cast her eyes over the damage.

"There you are." Someone called, coming out from Naru's old office. "Where are the new witnesses?"

Ryo handed a few papers to another officer and walked up to them, patting Naru on the shoulder before drawing Mai in for a hug. The young women flinched at the contact as he brushed her shoulder, causing her boss to pull away.

"It's nothing." She whispered, chuckling nervously and she rubbed her shoulder.

"She was hit in the shoulder when the poltergeist attacked us. Lin, along with the two other witnesses should be here shortly." Naru explained, ignoring the glare he got from the women beside him. Ryo turned his gaze from the brunette to the professor.

"Well, then. I'll need you two to fill out incident reports and then we'll have a meeting." With that, the Chief walked out of the room after pointing them in the direction of Naru's office.

It took a total of two hours to get through interviews, paper work and planning before they could rest. An hour into it all, Akito had led Ayako, Monk and Lin into the room and they were all currently sitting in the small CEO office, waiting for Ryo to come in so that they could commence the meeting.

"Wow Mai. I never expected you to work for something so serious. You haven't even fallen asleep yet." Monk laughed, his voice raising as Mai puffed out her cheeks. She glared at him despite the obvious pink tinge that dusted her face.

"Oh come on!" She cried, standing from her seat on the window sill. "I wasn't that bad!"

The comment caused both Ayako to let out a loud giggle which ended in her snorting, joining Monk in his laughter. Even Lin smiled while Naru smirked, easily recalling all the times he had found Mai sleeping while she was at the office or on a case.

"It's good to see you're in high spirits."

They all looks up to see Ryo smiling at them from the doorway.

"Yeah. So anyway, what are we going to do now?" Mai asked, standing up straight.

"Well, they're your team Mai. I'm leaving this investigation to you. I've already cleared out the other officers, so you lot have full run of the place." He told the young brunette, leaving her stunned as he turned to face Naru. "Your equipment arrived as well. We've placed it in the other office for you. Now, I'll see you at the office with the report soon. Bye."

With that, the man left. Everyone was shocked into silence until Naru coughed into his hand in an attempt to get the others attention. Turning to their old and new boss, they waited to hear what they would be doing. When he didn't answer their silent question, Mai decided it would be up to her.

"Ok then... Naru. What should we do? I may be a medium and all but we have to get the ghost first." She stated, walked over the group.

"First, we set up a camera in the reception room and then we'll use you as bait. Once we get him to come out, Monk will exorcise him." It was so simple that Mai smiled. However, it didn't seem everyone was very happy with the plan.

"Why Mai? She shouldn't have to be bait!" He yelled. The only response from the narcissist was a blank look as he stood, motioning for Lin to follow him. The blonde was about to keep yelling when a soft hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to face to owner of the hand and his anger melted when he saw her soft smile, understanding lighting her eyes as she gazed at him softly.

"It's alright Monk. It's sweet that you care about my safety, but I've been through much worse. I feel safe just knowing you'll all be near me when Haruki comes out." She explained, her voice filled with determination but still held the soft tone that Mai was known for. "Besides, I was the one that killed him. He's looking for revenge, so I'd be the most effective person to get him to come out."

Ayako and Monk watched in awe as Mai left the room, her expression serene despite the fact she could very likely get hurt within the next few hours.

"Our Mai's grown up." Monk whispered, sniffling as he began to cry in a rather comical manner.

X

The sky outside the office window was dark and everyone except Mai was seated in Naru's old office. The three adults watched the single screen on the table with such intensity that Naru was surprised it hadn't started to smoke yet. He however was more interested in the fact that Mai was lounging calmly on the floor of the reception room, humming quietly to herself as if she wasn't waiting to be attacked by a vengeful spirit.

They had moved any and all pieces of furniture from the office and made sure that the CEO office door was firmly shut and bracketed from the inside. Mai had to climb through the window, earning herself a few stares, just to do it. The only thing open was the door between Mai and himself.

His musing was stopped however when the bright colours on the screen dimmed, the thermal showing the temperature was dropping at an unnatural rate. It was then that they saw the apparition appear behind Mai, but before they could yell out a warning, she was lifted off the floor and slammed into the wall opposite the doorway. She struggled as she let out a sharp breathe and clawed at the invisible force pinning her up.

Naru could see her neck being compressed and instantly yelled at Takigawa to do something. Even Lin let out a whistle, quickly followed by a set of bright lights that shot off into the other room. This only caused the angry spirit to raise her higher in the air and slam her against the wall again, causing the girl to let a small scream escape her lips before the closed her eyes tightly, holding whatever breathe she had left for as long as she could.

"Damn it! Do something!" Naru panicked, rushing toward Mai and trying to pull her away from the wall and hopefully the spirit. It did nothing except get him thrown into the floor with a loud _smack_.

"Naumaku san manda basaradan kan! Naumaku san basardan Kan!" Monk chanted, his voice gaining in volume as Mai's skin began to lose colour. Ayako finally decided that she could do something and roughly brushed away her tears.

"Rin! Pyou! Tou! Shah! Kai! Chin! Retsu! Zai! _Zen!" _As the last of the mantra left her lips, Lin let out another whistle and an angry howl filled the air.

The ghost began to manifest, turning its angry eyes to them before the last of Lin's shiki pierced through it. Knocking sounds accompanied the violent shaking they felt as the spirit dropped Mai, Naru catching her before she hit the ground.

'_**Damn...you...' **_It hissed before disappearing, the sudden silence nearly defeaning as they watched the lights flicker to life. After he flicked the switch, he knelt down beside Naru and shook the dazed girl. Everyone let out a breath of relief they hadn't realised they had held when she smiled softly, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Just like old times. Eh, Naru?" She whispered, her voice scratchy but still sweeter than anything they had heard. She closed her eyes and fell unconscious. Naru watched her peaceful face before letting a smile of his own slip onto his face, barely noticing Ayako and Monk chuckle at the girls' words or Lin's newly relaxed posture.

"Yes Mai... Just like old times..."

X

X

X

**SOM: I'm so evil. Mwahaha**

**Mai: NO! Why did you finish it there.**

**SOM: Well, cause it was only like the **_**opening**_** case. Which reminds me, Monk? Would you like to tell the readers the news?**

**Monk: Shadow of Malice has posted a poll on her profile page so that you guys can pick the location for the next case. It may be a SPR case or a detective case depending on what you say in your reviews and the poll will tell us the place. **

**Ayako: Isn't a graveyard a little clique?**

**SOM: -glare- I'm thinking **_**outside **_**the metaphoric box. **

**Naru: Hey look. A box. -[]-**

**SOM: O.o Anyway, before the box kills me. I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing;**

Fire Kitty2812

Krissy2lip

Anonymous – Hitori15

Anonymous – Yume

RelayRando

_-_dreamingwandererofthelight-

xSapphirexRosesxFanx

Ariana Taniyama

Cross-Pixie-Kiki

Heavenslilagl420

Smilingspaz

Rosebud in Amber

Hitori15

Anonymus – Anne

thearistocrat

bbhelen3162

DramaXLifesXAdventure

Smilingspaz – hope I explained how Mai got her place well enough.

missyangel87

Amu Rose Cross

mytruthaboutlife

ToriSOS

..awsum

SilverStella

crazylittlecheezer

**Lin: SOM is currently running for her life at the moment so please stay tuned and please review.**

**Gene: If you do review, SOM might make me materialize in the next chapter and slap Oliver!**


	5. Case 2: A Killer Education Part 1

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ With their first case out of the way, SPR is finally getting their first case after five years. But, what does this new case have in store for them and why is it that Gene can materialize? Due to popular demand, Gene will be slapping Oliver. _

_**A/N: **__Most things I'll leave up to your imagination but some things I won't. As for the specifics on how Mai got her place, as pointed out by __smilingspaz__, well, I've decided that you can think about that. I confused myself so I just gave up and said that's where Mai lives. Also, __xSapphirexRosesxFanx__, I think you'll like this chapter. Thanks for the suggestion. ;) To everyone else, your reviews made me so happy. I actually got in trouble in class. Anyway. Sorry for any mistakes of OOC-ness._

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Inspired by Castle and my very, very bored (awesome) self. Song inspiration for this chapter is '24' by Jem._

_Suggest reading the chapter in 3/4 or 1/2. More suspense. ;)_

Chapter 4: **Case 2: Killer Education**

_She was dreaming again. She knew she was as there was no possible way that one second she was walking through a nicely furnished corridor, bright white walls reflecting the light form the multitude of large window on open doorways, to a dark, dank and cold hallway made of stones and metal bars._

_Twisting around at the sound of scrapping, she faced a dark wall... Or what she thought was a dark wall. In the dim light, she could faintly make out the shape of long bars running vertically up from the ground, imbedding themselves in the ceiling. Realising that the bars led to a cell, she moved cautiously toward the door which she knew from experience, was to the left of the cage-like room._

_Once she got close enough, a pale, bloody hand shot out from the darkness, clawing at the air as she jumped back. Gasping at the sight, she watched as it curled back into the room before shooting out from between the bars again, the limb strained against the metal to get her. This time when it retreated however, the being withdrew its arm completely._

"_Hello?" She called to the person in the cell, not completely sure why she did so. It took only a few seconds to get a response._

_The person in the cell rammed their body into the bars of the cell, the door rattling loudly as it let out an unearthly scream, its hollowed eyes gazing at her shivering form._

_She had seen plenty of dead bodies; the worst she had seen was Urado from her time back when she was younger on one of SPR's last cases. But this was completely different and struck fear into every fibre of her being. The person... the __**thing, **__behind the bars was paler than snow and while most of its flesh clung to the bones of the body, other pieces hung loosely from their original places, swinging in the air as it breathed out a haggard breathe. She gagged at the smell of rot and decay that filled her nostrils and was tempted to turn away from the thing glaring at her, but her senses told her not to... that if she did, the worst would happen._

_It continued to hiss at her as she raised her hand to cover her mouth and nose, a futile attempt to stop the grotesque scent from fogging her senses any more than it already had. Her eyes watered from the fumes that came off the body as it attempted to reach her again... that was, until it retreated into the confines of its blackened cell._

_Her senses were assaulted by the sudden silence. The disturbing sight and horrible smell vanishing as quickly as it had come. Breathing a sigh of relieve, she yelped as a bright red light started flashing off to her side, further down the corridor before a blaring siren screeched through the empty hallway. It was then that she gagged, the smell of rot once again filling her nose and making her eyes burn. Squinting, she tried to make out the source of the alarm when she realised the smell was twice as strong as before... and that was when she felt it. The dark, ominous presence that had once been glaring at her from behind the cell was now standing directly behind her._

_Slowly, she turned to face the creature, the sadistic grin on its face causing her eyes to widen before it lunged at her. _

_The next thing she knew, a pain filled shriek filled the air, overpowering the noise of the alarm. That was when she realised..._

_She was the one that was screaming..._

Naru jolted from his sleep by Mai's yelling, the sound chilling him to the core.

"Mai! Mai!" He called her, shaking her shoulder when he noticed a red liquid seep out of a new cut on her arm. _'When did she get that?' _"Mai!"

The brunette's face contorted in a look that was far too similar to that of pain and he started to panic. He couldn't wake the women from her slumber and more cuts were appearing in her body at an increasingly rapid rate. She let out another pain filled scream before snapping into an upright position, narrowly missing his head.

"Mai?" He tried again and succeeded in gaining her attention. He flinched slightly as she turned to him, her eyes red and puffy as tears streamed down her pink cheeks.

"Na-Naru?" She gasped, trying to regain her breath before reaching out and tenderly touching his chest. Feeling his heart beat steady under her hand, she quickly grabbed him around the shoulders and hugged him to her tightly, his arms circling her in an act of comfort. "It... It was so horrible Naru. It was so real... I haven't dreamed like that for so long..."

He pushed her away slightly and questioned her on her dream, his face shifting from one of curiosity to disgust and anger as she told him the details, her tears falling faster and more steadily by the time she finished. Again, she hugged him and he held her until her breathing returned to a normal pace and her tears had stopped flowing. She sat up, blushing slightly when she realised that she had somehow managed to move into his lap, and wiped her face with her hands before sighing. She jumped off him and smiled as she stretched.

"Are you alright now Mai?" He asked, the concern in his voice stunning the brunette girl only momentarily. It occurred to him that the previous cuts had vanished from her porcelain skin, as if it hadn't been Mai's experience at all in the dream.

"Yep," She sang, walking forward to the large glass wall and pulling the curtain aside and letting in the bright morning sunshine. "Thanks for... well, letting me hug you and stuff. It's a nice change."

Her admission made his eyes widen before he coughed, standing from the red sofa and running a hand through his hair. It had been a week since the SPR had gotten rid of Haruki and now that all evidence of the crime scene had been dealt with, Mai had convinced him to start renovations on the office. Due to those renovations, SPR hadn't been able to open for business, officially anyway. They had been taking calls and reading e-mails about potential cases, some even went as far as to find out Mai's address so that their case could be heard in person.

"Do you think it could have to do with the new case?" He asked. One of the few people that had come to the condo was an elderly woman in her late sixties, begging them to come take a look at her boarding school where odd things had been happening.

_Flashback _

_January 21__st_

_8:54 am_

"_Naru! Could you get that?" Mai yelled from the stove after a series of rapid knocks sounded from the apartment door. Now, normally she would have called for Lin, but he was currently out of the country visiting his mother to celebrate his birthday. Sure, it was a few days late, but Mai had convinced him that it was 'better late than never,' before she had solemnly added that he should spend as much time with her as possible, because she could be gone in seconds._

_Sighing, Naru closed his book and set it on the coffee table before heading to the door, opening it before staggering backwards. An elderly lady with long, knotted hair clung to his black shirt (go figure), as she cried and wailed about ghosts and missing students. After a few seconds of utter cluelessness, Mai had come from the kitchen and placed a hand on the women's shoulder and calmed her down enough to get her to sit on the sofa to drink some tea. This earned her a glare as it was _his _tea that was offered, but she didn't care._

"_My name is Mikoto Ayaki. I'm the principle and head mistress of Miamoto Arts College. For the past year or so, things have been occurring to which we can't find any answer to." Mikoto sighed, leaning back in the seat before shaking her head. The sudden confession made both Naru and Mai blink at the women at the bluntness of her comment._

"_What kinds of things to you mean Ms Ayaki?" Mai asked, taking a seat next to the women after giving Naru some fresh tea after assuring him that she would not take it from him._

"_Strange things... Students have gone missing, things will get thrown when there is no one around or they will be thrown at a person with such strength that several students have suffered from broken bones and concussions. People will see strange shadows or hear knocks and bags in the middle of the night. A few students have claimed that they've been touched or pushed, but when they tried to see the cause, there is nothing there."_

"_Have you experienced any of these anomalies yourself?" Naru asked, taking a sip of his tea as he finished taking his notes, where he got the book from, Mai would never know._

"_Yes, I have actually..." Mikoto started, hesitating before letting out a shaky breath. "My room is in the corridor adjacent to that of the hallway that leads to the guest rooms for visiting teachers or parents. The west tower. Sometimes, in the beginning of these strange happenings, many of the faculty, including myself, believed that the banging sounds were due to misbehaving students, so some of us took it upon ourselves to put a stop to it. So one night, the sounds were exceptionally loud, so I grabbed my torch and slipped into the hallway were the sounds were loudest. But the second I stepped foot into the corridor, a horrible, frightening scream was all I could hear and then I passed out. All I remember after that is feeling cold."_

_Naru and Mai shared a knowing look before asking for more details, occasionally comforting the women before Naru finally spoke up._

"_We'll be there in two days around midday. Please have one large room for our base and two bedrooms." He told to women standing and leading her to the door after Mai took down specific details._

_End Flashback_

"I... I think so. Do we have any information about the schools past?" She asked, walking to the kitchen and placing two plates on the island before making tea for our beloved narcissist.

"Only a little. We can have Lin do some research tomorrow...Which reminds me, I have to collect him from the airport..." His explanation was accompanied by the sound of turning pages, "The school was opened in 1976, it started out as a normal high school but it was too far for many students to travel so it was turned into a boarding school. After the arts department excelled, it was changed into an arts college. That's about all we have. As for the incidents reports, as well as written records from students both missing and who have had experiences; they have to be looked at. The Police files should have been forwarded to your department, so you'll have to look at those too."

Mai blinked, it was so odd to have Naru acting like the boss again, only, now he was much nicer than when she was a teenager.

"Oh. Ok. Well then you can drop me off at the station on your way to get Lin. But... Why is he coming back so soon?" She asked taking a bit of her foot. He gave her an amused look before answering her question.

"I called him-." She was about to start yelling at him, when she choked on a bit of food she had taken from the bowl of fruits next to her. "For one thing Mai, don't die on me and two, the second I said we were going on an SPR case, he wouldn't listen to me when I said we would be fine. So, it was his choice, not mine."

Again, Naru surprised her by actually explaining himself and then she nearly fainted when he came up to her and put the frying pan on the stove.

"Would you like eggs or pancakes this morning?" He asked her and that was what did her in. The next thing she knew, she was being held by two warm arms and she stared into the deep azure eyes of her teenage crush. Another small blush adorned her cheeks before she laughed, her hand coming to rest on her forehead as if testing her body temperature.

"I swear I'm sick, otherwise you're actually the real Naru, your being nice and... and," She took a moment to think and he raised an eyebrow when your eyes widened and she shot upright, pushing away from him and grabbing the counter top. "Oh god! You've brought the apocalypse!"

He chuckled at her as he rolled his eyes, turning to the fridge and pulling out an instant pancake mix Mai had made the previous day. Eyeing it warily as if wondering it was good, he quickly shrugged before mumbling something about food poisoning and slaves.

After that the, the morning was relatively quiet and before Mai realised, she was standing outside the police station watching Naru drive off to get Lin. Shaking her head a small smile spread across her face, she turned on her heels and marched into the building, waving to other officers or familiar people that are always being arrested for one reason or other.

On her desk was a pile of manila folders. Sighing, she slipped out of her jacket and sat down, sorting the files while her computer booted up. Once she was done separating the witness reports, missing persons files and police records, she pulled out a new note book, almost like how Naru had an endless supply of them in her teenage years, and started taking notes.

By the time she was halfway through the eye-witness reports, a light _thud _made her look away from the research to a cup of coffee. Following the retreating arm, she saw Akito smiling down at her with an odd twinkle in his green eyes. Taking a seat infront of her desk, which was ironically placing him behind his own work desk, he took a sip from his own warm beverage.

"Can I help you Akito?" She asked him, picking up another folder and flicking through it before jotting some notes down. All she heard was Akito chuckle before, leaning over and grabbing her note book.

"I've never seen you work this hard Mai. Well, this hard while actually enjoying it anyway." He joked, ducking under the hit she aimed at his head before she swiped her book back from him.

"Shut up!" She yelled, a tinge of pink dusting her cheeks before a thought crossed her mind. "How's Susuki? It must have been nice spending a whole week with her."

"It was nice, until she got random cravings and yelled at me to do stuff. Man, am I beat after that. I swear, I fear her more than any criminal we've gone after. She's got good aim." He scoffed, absently rubbing his shoulder, "Remind me to hide the dinner wear and lock away any and all things that could be used as a projectile."

It took all of three seconds for the two of them to start laughing, Mai opting to try quiet her giggles with her hand while Akito didn't care. If anyone has encountered a pregnant woman, they'd understand. Struggling to take a sip of the coffee Akito had brought heras she laughed.

"What's going on here?"

Turning to one of the main offices, they spotted Ryo standing in his doorway, a curious look on his face and a smile showing through his eyes.

"Susuki's abusive." Was all Mai managed to get through her laughter until she took a breather, struggling to speak with the random giggles that she couldn't hold back. "Now he's scared of her."

"I'm not scared of her! That woman's dangerous!" The man defended, avoiding eye contact.

"Sure Akito. Anyway, do you have everything you need Mai?" Ryo asked, walking towards the desk in which the brunette sat behind.

"Yea. There's so much and I've only gone through the witness reports. This'll take forever." Mai moaned, dropping her head to the desk. "And there's so much information, I think it would have been easier to solve a murder."

Ryo quirked an eyebrow at Mai as if she had said the simplest thing in the world. She looked at him quizzically before lifting her head to look at Akito. The dark haired male had a similar look to that of the Chief's and she just narrowed her eyes.

"Mind filling me in?" She asked, her frustration leaking heavily into her voice. Sighing, Akito stood from his desk.

"Really Mai? You _could_ treat it like an investigation." Akito told her. When he saw she still wasn't getting the picture, he walked towards a whiteboard against the wall while Ryo picked up the files she had already gone through before heading to join Akito.

"This _is _a murder case as well a missing persons' case. The perfect place for your investigation skills to come in and while I'm sure you've got experience with the paranormal side, I think Kazuya would be better at it. But until then, you could easily piece together a timeline and any other connections between the victims." Ryo explained, pinning a few photos up before pulling a small rolling table over to him to place the folders.

Realisation crossed her face before she got up, notes in hand and grabbed a white board marker. Muttering under her breath about being an idiot and teenage girl, she started to write up the note. Within an hour, the whole surface was covered in photos, notes, arrows and the occasional doodle from when Akito wanted to annoy her for fun.

"I swear! You really are such a kid sometimes!" She scolded him after her drew his latest stick figure of a cat being chased by a dog through the words.

"Ease up Mai. You'll get wrinkles if you don't relax." He told her, raising the marker to her face as if to draw on her pale skin.

"Ah! No!" Squealing, she reeled away from the offending marker before picking up her own. Laughing, he lunged at her and tried to get her again, but she dodged away and uncapped the pen. A second later, Akito had a long black line running down him arm.

"Oh, you'll pay for that." He threatened, swinging the marker like a sword. Unbeknownst to them, a certain narcissist was watching them from the main doorway, his lips pulled into a small smile with Lin by his side.

It was only a few minutes later that Mai felt like she was being watched and she straightened up, narrowly avoiding Akitos' strike.

"N-Naru! How long have you been standing there?" Mai asked, capping her marking and putting it down.

"Long enough to know you were slacking off." He told her, a light tone letting her know he wasn't angry, but all the same, she replied with a bit of agitation.

"Slacking off?" She cried, pointing angrily to the board. "Are you kidding me? I spend a whole hour doing this while putting up with _him! _Besides, I work _with _you now, not _for _you. So there!"

She punctuated her sentence by sticking her tongue out at him, earning an chuckled from him. Deciding to look at her findings, he walked into the room and stood before her work, his eyebrows rising at the sight of the numerous doodles that crossed between and through the work at which she just pointed and glared at Akito.

"So what have you managed to find Mai?" Lin asked, placing his things down by her desk and standing beside the brunette.

"Hey Lin!" She said, smiling up at the Chinese man, "Well, there were roughly ten unique reports while the others just repeated each other. So I generalised it. There are numerous accounts of seeing 'shadow people' and the occasional odd sound or two."

"What of the unique cases?" Naru asked, his head resting in his hand as he scanned the board. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Mai cross her arms and her eyebrows meet as she thought.

"They're pretty weird actually. Two say that they were touched, nothing too aggressive but it still freaked them out. Three others were touched in such a way that they had bruises in the shape of hands. Another got a concussion after a vase in one of the classrooms was thrown at him; it happened infront of a whole group of students that had been sketching and no one knows who or _what _did it. Three students woke in the middle of the night to screaming or really loud knocking and when they went to go check it out, they'd be attacked. All receiving deep scratch marks all over the arms, legs and back. The last one though, Ms Ayaki's incident, is the most disturbing out of them all. Never has all those things happened at one time." She explained, taking a deep breath when she was done.

"Which means it's escalated." Naru queered, turning to look at Lin, who just nodded back.

"Would you have a computer I could use Mai?" He asked, causing the brunette in question to crane her head to look at him.

"Sure thing. You can use mine. There's some information for you to look at too." She told him, yawning before rubbing her eyes.

"How much more is there to do?" Akito asked, looking onto Mai's desk to see the stack of papers she was going through.

"The missing persons' reports, and the police files." She told him, handing the missing persons files to Naru; he quirked an eyebrow at her in response. "You don't honestly think _I'm _doing all the work. I've got the police reports, so I won't just be sitting back."

"Most of the time." Akito joked, running out of the room as he dodged the stapler that had been aimed at his head. Grumbling, she directed Naru to the seat infront of her desk as she grabbed an extra chair and they spent the afternoon going over notes while adding in additional information that Lin found.

All Mai could think was that having the police database made investigating _way _easier.

X

X

X

_January 23__rd_

_Case 2: Day 1_

_Miamoto Arts College_

_02:33 pm_

"Mr Shibuya! I'm so glad you came so soon." Mikoto Ayaki, the headmistress of the school, called; rushing down the front steps to greet them. Despite her smile, her eyes were frantic and her hair was in disarray. After the long drive, everyone stepped out of their respective vehicles. Monk having driven Ayako while Lin drove Naru. Mai took her own car so that the van wouldn't be crowded.

"Good afternoon Ms Ayaki. I'm sorry that we're late, only we had a minor... _distraction_." He told her while he glared pointedly at a certain Monk who was whistling innocently. "Could you show us to the rooms?"

"Oh yes. You've actually got the whole west wing to yourselves. There's a common room that leads into the bedrooms. (think Harry Potter except the doors lead to separate corridors instead of stairs.) Right this way then; there is a lift, so moving your equipment shouldn't be too hard." She smiled, watching as everyone grabbed their things before following her through the main doors.

Walking straight through the main lobby, they came to the elevator doors on the western wall and rode it to the third and last floor, not including the attic.

"This will be your base and through those doors you'll find your rooms. There is also a small kitchen through there," She pointed briefly to a small archway that was partially concealed by a curtain. "So please, set up and I will be back to give you a tour."

With that she left and Mai gazed around the room. All the drapery varied from shades of blue to white with the fireplace stone resting between pale jade and smoke quartz. Infront of the fireplace were two large white sofas and two armchairs and a coffee table resting between them. Behind the seating was a dining set. The rest of the room was decorated with a bookshelf, extra tables along the walls and number of lamps and paintings.

What drew Mai's attention the most however, was the chipped paint along the fireplace. The baby blue colour of the wall flaking off to reveal worn, grey brick work. Shaking the oddity from her mind, she set about helping Lin and Naru with the equipment that had already been brought up while Monk went down to wait for John, Masako and Yasu so that they could bring up the rest of the electronics.

"You aren't nervous, are you?" Naru asked as Mai sat on one of the sofas.

"No! Maybe? Yes. I mean, there's no way I _can't _be nervous. I haven't seen them in years." She answered him, biting her lip before standing up. She faintly registered that Lin excused himself, as she walked slowly towards the window... and closer to the chipped paint.

Once she was close enough, she placed her hand on the wall and instantly gasped. The room temperature dropped and a sickening _crack, _was heard throughout the room followed by sharp scratching sounds.

"Mai! Get over here!" Naru hissed from his place infront of the monitors only to rush to her side instead as she dropped to the floor, gasping. Glancing at her face that was shadowed by her hair, he saw her eyes glaze over before she started shaking. Her head snapped up the instant his hand landed on her shoulder and she looked at him... through him; towards a dark shadow slinking out from the kitchen.

"Na-Naru!" She whispered frantically, the disturbing images that had flashed through her mind temporarily forgotten as she saw the apparition. "That thing...It's from my dream."

Turning around quickly, he fixed his sights on the disfigured ghost as it growled at them. It quickly let out an ear piercing scream before vanishing as quickly as it came. The temperature however, did not return to normal. In fact, it seemed to grow colder. The type of cold were a person felt warm within the frozen cacoon of the room.

Puzzled, Naru wrapped one arm around Mai's shivering shoulders before casting his eyes over the room. After looking around twice and deciding they were in no imminent danger, he helped Mai up. It was then that she gasped. Looking at her quizzically, he followed her gaze to the kitchen to which a shadow lurked. This shadow however, held no malice or evil intend towards them and Mai smiled warmly as the familiar name rolled off her tongue.

"Gene!" She cried, moving away from Naru and racing across the room. Standing infront of her boss' replica, she hesitantly reached out a hand. It was met by his own as she gasped again at the warm, solid feeling she received in return. "No way!"

"Gene?" Naru called tentatively, walking up to his ghostly brother. "No... It's not... It's not possible!"

"That's what I thought when I saw the spirit leave." Gene answered, a confused look passing over his face quickly as he released Mai's hand. "But I'm here, and I can't go back. Not sure why, but now I can finally do this."

Naru looked at his brother before his eyes widened, a slap sound echoing through the quite room. The force of the hit cased Naru to stagger lightly before gently touching his now red cheek. Anger flashed through his eyes and he glared at his dead brother.

"What the hell was that for?" He yelled, his arm poised to return the blow when Mai touched his shoulder. Glancing at her, she shook her head and smiled at him and he could only return it with a smirk before raising an eyebrow as his brother laughed.

"You really are an idiot scientist, Noll."

X

X

X

_**SOM: Cliffy! I'm so evil! Mwahaha. Also, sorry for some mild OOC-ness. The rest of the SPR crew will be in the next chapter and the poll for investigation locations is still open and I am taking suggestions. Sorry it took so long to update too.**_

_**Mai: Well, that's not weird to laugh like a crazy person. But man, seeing you get slapped was funny!**_

_**Naru: -glare- Why did people want to see me hit by Gene anyway?**_

_**Gene: 'Cause your an idiot scientist and people thought it would be awesome to see it happen. **_

_**Monk: Oh man! I missed it!**_

_**Ayako: Oh grow up. But why did Gene materialise anyway?**_

_**SOM: You'll just have to wait and find out. But this chapter was really hard to get down. Writers block. . Oh well. It's here and I'm SOOO sorry for the wait. Lin?**_

_**Lin: Very well. SOM would like to thank the following people for reviewing; **_Fire Kitty2812, Krissy2lip, _Anonymous – Hitori15_, _Anonymous – Yume_, RelayRando, _-_dreamingwandererofthelight-, xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Ariana Taniyama, Cross-Pixie-Kiki, Heavenslilagl420, Rosebud in Amber, Hitori15, _Anonymus – Anne_, Thearistocrat, bbhelen3162, DramaXLifesXAdventure, Smilingspaz, missyangel87, Amu Rose Cross, Mytruthaboutlife, ToriSOS, ..awsum, SilverStella, crazylittlecheezer, _Anonumous – Taylor, _HunnyBunnyChan, MarisaKamy, Ariana Taniyama, Tomatosoup inc., BloodyXan-Xan, MaiShibuya, _Anonymous- Lilac, _akujupiter, okami-naruto101, DarkRose121315, Flamegirl5500, _Anonymous – Stalker _and FanGirl11497.

**SOM: O.O I have that many reviewers...**

**Mai: Yep. Seems like they like your story.**

**SOM: Oh... you guys. YOU RULE! TOTALLY AWESOME! You make me so happy! –cries waterfalls-**

**Gene: Well, while she's having your moment, please review and we hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	6. Case 2: A Killer Education Part 2

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ With their first case out of the way, SPR is finally getting their first case after five years. But, what does this new case have in store for them and why is it that Gene can materialize? Due to popular demand, Gene will be slapping Oliver. _

_**A/N: **__Sorry for any mistakes or OOC-ness in this chapter or previous ones. Also, this chapter is dedicated to all those that have lost their homes, lives and friends all over the world in the current natural or otherwise, disasters. _

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Inspired by Castle and my very, very bored (awesome) self. Song inspiration for this chapter is 'Again' by Flyleaf._

Chapter 6: **Case 2: Killer Education**

**Recap:** _Naru looked at his brother before his eyes widened, a slap sound echoing through the quite room. The force of the hit cased Naru to stagger lightly before gently touching his now red cheek. Anger flashed through his eyes and he glared at his dead brother._

_"What the hell was that for?" He yelled, his arm poised to return the blow when Mai touched his shoulder. Glancing at her, she shook her head and smiled at him and he could only return it with a smirk before raising an eyebrow as his brother laughed._

_"You really are an idiot scientist, Noll."_

When the others arrived at the room, multiple things happened at once. Ayako screamed, Monk yelled at Naru for reasons Mai would never understand, while John had caught Masako as she fainted. Throughout this whole ordeal, Naru had been glaring intently at his now visible brother who sat with a smug smile on the couch opposite him. Mai tended to the narcissist's cheek that had started to swell.

"Naru... Mai? Would you like to tell me why Gene is currently sitting in our base?" Lin asked, breaking the tense atmosphere the room had taken. Gene just looked at the Chinese man and laughed.

"Hi to you too Lin." He joked, enjoying the look of surprise Lin sent at him.

"We don't know why he's here, but he is. He's solid too." Naru told him, ignoring how Mai started sniggering.

"He's solid alright." She murmured, smiling at the happier twin before standing from her place on the ground.

"Oh god!" Monk moaned, rubbing his head in frustration, "Now there's two Naru's!"

"I'm not like my brother!" Gene defended, standing up and walking to Lin. "You too Lin. You're not this quiet. I remember one time when-!"

"You're still the same old Gene too you know." The Chinese onmioji told the now undead twin, keeping his hand firmly over the young boys mouth.

"Umm... Despite all this, it's good to see you again Mai."

Looking away from Lin and Gene, Mai drew her attention to the blonde exorcist who was standing infront of a dark haired, kimono wearing girl.

"John! Masako! Hey!" She called, ushering them across the room and laughing when she heard another person cough. "You too Yasu!"

"Yay! Mai cares about me!" The young man sang, bolting to her from the doorway and engulfing her in a hug. Her complaints after that were muffled in his shirt and he laughed, until his joy turned to pain as he coughed, dropping to the floor while cradling his stomach. The whole time, John and Masako watched as Mai huffed, straightening her clothes before turning to Lin.

"So, are we all ready to start?" She asked, adjusting her woollen trench coat, much like what Naru used to wear, only a whole lot more feminine.

"Well Naru?" Lin turned to ask the young man stand from his seat on the coach and glare at his brother while he replied.

"Well, Mai and I had an encounter with the _violent _spirit of this place... before Gene came, that is." Naru told them, holding his hand up quickly before anyone could interrupt him and pulled a map from his file on the coffee table. "We need a camera at these locations..."

After pointing out the areas, he sent Monk and John to set up the equipment while Masako and Ayako were sent to check the place out. John and Yasu offered to make lunch and left for the kitchen. This left Lin to set up the monitors in base with Naru reading his file, leaving Mai and Gene to sit on the couch in silence, until...

"So Mai? How's my future sister-in-law doing?" The question made Mai choke on her own breath and whip her head around. Even Naru snapped his file closed and slammed in on the table before spinning around in his chair, glaring daggers at his brother and wilted any and all flora within miles of the room.

"W-we aren't... I mean-." She stuttered, blushing several shades of pink at the insinuation made by the undead twin.

"Mai." Naru called, drawing her attention from the floor to his face. "Go for a walk. See what you can get and make sure to follow the cameras."

She nodded numbly, wanting nothing more than to get out of the room as quickly and humanly possible, fearful of incurring Naru's wrath.

-_At base- _

After the door closed, Naru let out a loud breathe and pinching the bridge of his nose . Eyeing the young narcissist known as his boss, Lin was undecided on what to do while Gene just smiled, examining the peeling paint by the fireplace that had triggered the ghosts appearance.

"So..." Gene started, mentally wincing when his brother turned to glare at him.

"If you value what's left of your spirit, you will remain silent." Naru hissed, taking a threatening step towards his brother.

_-With Mai-_

She wondered through the halls, carefully following the cables that supplied a direct signal to the monitors back at base, making sure to wave at the camera as she passed. Mai had already gone through the top level of the school and three of the four wings, currently, she was making her way towards the west wing where the most activity was supposed to be as well as the base.

"Well... It looks like the guys went back to base." She pondered aloud, jumping when she heard a familiar scream. "Masako!"

Quickly reaching into her jacket, she pulled a small 9mm gun out and bolted for the corridor her friend was in. She slammed her shoulder into the door, forcing it open before she leapt into the hallway, instantly realising it was the place Ms Ayaki had been attacked. The scene before her flashed quickly, changing to resemble what she had seen in her dream, however, in the place she had been, was a shivering Masako being held by a similarly distressed Ayako. The hallway changed back to what it looked like in modern day with blue walls, white ceiling and small, far between windows. Masako and Ayako in the same place as the vision only the creature was lurching out of the shadows from behind them.

"Look out!" Mai yelled, taking aim quickly and firing a few rounds, eliciting a high pitched scream from the disfigured monster and effectively drawing its attention from the scared women.

"Mai!" Masako called out, pushing away from the phantom while pulling Ayako towards the wall. "It's no use! You can't hurt it!"

The warning fell on deaf ears as Mai glared at the creature, shaking her head before focusing on the advancing beast. "Yes I can." She whispered before focusing her PK, like Naru's, into her gun and lifting the cross-hairs to be level with its head. Pulling the trigger, a lightly glowing bullet left the barrel and imbedded in the monsters head, causing it to stop before black, inky blood splattered on the walls before it dropped to the ground in a tangle of its own limbs.

Edging around it, Mai went to Masako and Ayako to make sure they were okay just as the other door (opposite to the one Mai broke) burst open, revealing the males of the team.

"What happened?" Monk asked, rushing to the kneeling women on the ground while casting a quick glance at Mai.

"We were heading back to base when that _thing _attacked us. We could have been seriously hurt if Mai hadn't shown up when she did." Ayako told the bassist as he helped her stand. At some point during the beasts killing, she and Masako had fallen to their knees.

"Mai?" Naru asked, turning to watch the girl waver on her feet and place her hand on the wall beside her. "You didn't?"

The brunette just cast him a shaky smile as her skin paled.

"Is it dead?" Yasu asked, popping his head into the corridor before jumping as Gene's voice filtered through the silent hallway which had chilled and gone dark as the sun set outside.

"No. This is only the beginning..."

His warning was punctuated as the beast slunk into an upright position, his head snapping to look at the females with a sickening _crack _sound.

"Oh god!" John gasped.

Dark silhouettes of human shapes lined the wall behind it, accompanied by the sound of whispering.

"I think... Maybe we should leave?" Yasu asked, edging out of the hallway as quickly and quietly as possible.

"Yes. Everyone out!" Naru called, John and Lin helping Masako and Ayako through the doorway while Gene grabbed Yasu. "Mai!"

The said brunette was once again aiming her gun at the demon and tried to focus her PK through her foggy mind, earning a malicious laugh from the monster. The whispers of the shadow people grew louder with each passing second before one lunged at her, grabbing onto the arm she was using to stabilise the gun before another bit her wrist, causing the pistol to fall to the ground and let off a round into the wall. Crying out, Mai struggled against the dark beings as another wrapped its shadowy arms around her waist as the demon stood up.

"Nau maku san manda, bazaar dan kan!" Monk started chanting as Mai's struggles increased. The demon screamed as he fought the mantra and jumped at Mai, racking its jagged, sharp nails across her collar bone and ripping her turtleneck shirt. Her warm blood almost instantly being soaked into the torn, black fabric.

"No!" Naru yelled, bodily tackling the beast and sending it crashing to the floor. The shadow people became infuriated and threw Mai into the opposite wall and causing her head the hit the painted concrete. Rubbing his shoulder, Naru quickly rushed to the barely conscious girl and lifted her bridal style into his arms before running past Monk. It only took the bassist a few seconds to follow the young narcissist and ran to base.

Lin and John quickly slammed the door shut and held it in place as it rattled on its hinges as the demon tried to break in. Monk placed a barrier on the door and everything fell silent.

X

X

X

**BONUS STORY – SPR sign**

It was just another day in the office when the front door opened. Mai stood from her seat and

answered.

"Um... Yes. Is this the Shibuya Psychic Research office?" The lady asked. Listening to the woman's case, they took her details.

After she left, both Mai and Naru stared at the door.

"Hey Naru?" She asked.

"What?" He murmured back, titling his head as he stared at her slightly.

"Think we should invest in a neon sign?"

~NEXT DAY~

"Well... That's bright..." Mai whisper glancing at the new neon sign Naru had just put up.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Excuse me?" A man asked, opening the door and sticking his head in. Mai got up and welcomed

him. "Is this the Shibuya Psychic Research Office?" He asked.

-_Sweat Drop_-

The END

**SOM: I'm sooo sorry that it's so short, but I've had writers block and I still wanted to thank you all for reviewing so I wrote this. I think I'll call it a filler (kinda), but still, please review. The next chapter will probably be the last for case 2. **

**Mai: Well this demon doesn't like us much.**

**Naru: You think? –glare- and next time you put yourself in that kind of situation, I swear you'll regret it.**

**Gene: Aww. Was little Naru worried?**

**Naru: ...**

**Lin: Anyway, we'd like to thank the following people for reviewing the last chapter;**

_Krissy2lip, MaiShibuya (sorry for the wait!), heavenslilangl420 (glad you agreed with the pregnant women joke. :D), Bloody Xan-Xan, Flamegirl5500 (glad you love the last chapter), Chibi-Kyuubi-Chan, SilverStella, FanGirl11497 (your review made me really happy. Thank you! ^.^), LoveTheCrazy (the reason for the slap will be revealed in due time), XSapphirexRosesxFanx (You guess partially right for while Naru got slapped. Glad you liked the chapter), Blueheart121, Fire Kitty 2812 (Nice to know you like Gene abusing his twin. Haha) and Yuna-moon-lovely._

**SOM:**__**Your reviews make me really happy, so please review this chapter. Half-yearly tests are done so I have more time to write now! YAY! No more stress for like... two months. Oh well. **

**Gene: Yea! And please, no flames. Criticism is allowed but make it in the benefit of the author instead of just saying you hate it. Not cool man. You know who you are.**

**Masako: Indeed, so please be nice and leave a review. Stay safe until next time! :)**


	7. Case 2: A Killer Education Part 3

**Cases of a Different Kind**

_**Author: **__Shadow of Malice_

_**Summary:**__ With their first case out of the way, SPR is finally getting their first case after five years. But, what does this new case have in store for them and why is it that Gene can materialize? Due to popular demand, Gene will be slapping Oliver. _

_**A/N: **__Sorry for any mistakes or OOC-ness in this chapter or previous ones. This chapter is dedicated to _MaiShibuya _for all her support and everyone should read her stories! They're good! :D The A/N at the end has hints to the next case!_

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Ghost Hunt except for the plot of this story. Song inspiration for this chapter is 'Alive and Awake' by Skillet._

Chapter 7: **Case 2: Killer Education Part 3**

_**Previously on Cases of a Different Kind – A Killer education**_

_"No!" Naru yelled, bodily tackling the beast and sending it crashing to the floor. The shadow people became infuriated and threw Mai into the opposite wall and causing her head the hit the painted concrete. Rubbing his shoulder, Naru quickly rushed to the barely conscious girl and lifted her bridal style into his arms before running past Monk. It only took the bassist a few seconds to follow the young narcissist and ran to base._

_Lin and John quickly slammed the door shut and held it in place as it rattled on its hinges as the demon tried to break in. Monk placed a barrier on the door and everything fell silent._

~X-x-X~

Base was quiet when Ms Ayaki walked in, curious as to what progress the team had made on the case. The grim faces of the room occupants however and the unconscious Mai sent a chill down her spine.

"Is... Is everything alright?" She hesitated, her attention being drawn to the Naru look alike as he stood and sent her a bright smile that looked real, but to Naru and Lin, it was as fake as an elderly mans wig.

"In a sense of the word, things are alright _now. _We had a... small, altercation with the ghost of yours." Gene answer the woman, walking over to her and stretching out his hand. "I'm Eugene. Kazuya's brother."

"Oh my." She said, taking his hand in a gentle handshake. "I... Well, I didn't see you earlier."

"He came... later." Was all Naru said, his brow furrowed ever so slightly as his gaze remained focused on Mai as she lay resting on one of the sofa's. He couldn't wrap his head around the events that had happened hours earlier. After Mai had been bandaged up, the team had sat down and discussed what their next plan of action would be...

_Flashback_

"_I can't keep the barrier up forever. Sooner or later, that demons gonna get in here." Monk stated solemnly, frowning at the thought of the monster attacking the women, and most likely Mai, again._

"_And it seems as though the demon is only getting more agitated. I shudder to think what would happen if we didn't do something soon. Demons are no creature to be kept around while angry." John said, his arm around a still shaking Masako as she leaned on his._

"_Indeed." Naru nodded, pacing infront of the sleeping Mai. "Not even Urado was this aggressive so suddenly... Lin?" _

_The Chinese omnioji looked at the young man before picking up his laptop from the coffee table and opening it. "The dark beings that were with the demon are known as 'Shadow People.' Vicious beings from hell that are slaves to demons; they love to cause grief and mischief whenever they can and can become attached to a person." _

_A horrified gasp left Ayako's mouth as she clung to Monk. "You mean... one of those... things, could be on me right now?"_

_Lin just blinked before looking at Masako who stood up. "No. I do not sense any malevolent spirit within the room, but beyond is a great evil which has lurked here for many years."_

"_Wait! How come it only just started attacking now? It doesn't make any sense!" Yasu asked, but Masako just shook her head, a clear sign that she herself, did not know._

_Naru stopped pacing long enough to look at his watch before turning to face the team and his brother that had remained oddly quiet the whole time._

"_We have two hours before our scheduled dinner. Miss Matsuzaki, I want you to make protective charms for everyone and the bedrooms as well... Perhaps some for base too. John, you and Yasu are to receive them first and then head to the school library to do some research. Monk, once the charms are done, I want you to take down the barrier after dinner and then get some rest. By the looks of it, you'll need it. Masako, you and Gene will be in charge of making dinner. Am I understood?" Naru asked, receiving multiple signs of agreement from everyone before they set off to do their assigned tasks._

_End Flashback_

Yasu walked into base from the small kitchen with a tray full of tea cups and handed them out before taking a seat in the armchair opposite Mai.

"How many people are still in the school?" Lin asked, turning away from his computer screen long enough to make sure Ms Ayaki knew he was addressing her.

"Myself, the security and the caretaker... there is my assistant who's coming back in a day or too also." She said, taking a sip of tea with a smile. "Why would you need to know?"

"We want you to leave."

Naru's statement left the headmistress in a state of shock before she blinked, putting her cup on the coffee table before sputtering a response in disbelief, "Wh-what? On what grounds?"

"We mean no disrespect ma'am." John defended, trying his best to salvage the situation. "We only care about your safety. We think it would be best if you leave. That is all Kazuya meant."

Ms Ayaki seemed to relax after the Australian priest explained the situation and she nodded slowly, as if trying to stay calm despite the urgency to leave.

"How soon should we leave?" She asked, her voice wavering as her eyes cast a weary glance to the door between them and the poltergeist.

"As soon as possible." Was all Naru said and with that, she left the room in a rush. Half an hour later, Naru was watching multiple cars drive away into the night.

Monk yawned loudly, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. The sign of fatigue seemed to set off a chain reaction as Masako rested her head on John's shoulder while he rubbed his eye sleepily. Ayako stretched while Yasu leaned back in his seat.

"I think we should all get some rest for the night." Gene suggested, everyone mumbled words of agreement before shuffling off to their respective rooms with the charms that Ayako made in their grasp. This left Gene in the room with Lin, Naru and an unconscious Mai.

Lin sat infront of the monitors beside Naru, who was still standing by the window, before they almost instantly looked towards Mai as she shifted, muttering under her breath.

"I can't see what she's dreaming." Gene whispered, his eyes showing both pain and confusion. "I'm worried..."

"I am too Gene. But Mai... she's strong. No matter what's thrown at her, she's always got the strength to smile." Naru stated, not even caring whether or not he was acting oddly.

Gene blinked before glancing at Lin, noticing that the Chinese omnioji was staring at Naru with a small, but noticeable smile . It was easy enough for Gene to see the change that had occurred in the two other men in the room after they had met Mai. He only hoped that their happiness wasn't suffering without him...

_Mai's Dream_

_The sky was dark with the fierce storm that tinted the clouds green and purple. The sickly combination sent a chill down her spine as she stared over the edge of the roof. She didn't know why she was there, but what she could tell of her location was that she was on a tall building that was isolated within a large, thick forest. Mountains encircled the woods and showed no sign of an exit. Thunder boomed in the distance and caused her to jump, her fragile body shivering as a cold wind blew past her, the chill biting into her skin like blades._

_A small voice, often referred to as instinct, told her to run. _

_To run and run and never turn back... _

_And she did just that. Turning on her heels, she rushed towards the small alcove which she knew, somehow, sheltered a door. Ducking into the darkness, an unknown urgency ran through her veins as she rattled the handle, shifting her weight forward quickly and slamming her shoulder into the wooden door that stood firm against__her attack. She frantically rammed herself into the door and paused only long enough to catch her breath. Her shoulder ached and the skies opened up, showering the roof in a blanket of never-ending ran._

_It was then that she heard it... The bone chilling hiss of the demon..._

_~X-x-X~_

Masako stormed into base, startling the three men from their thoughts and caused them to turn away from the unconscious brunette.

"Masako? What-" Lin tried to ask the wide eyed medium, only to have her turn to the door and rip off the charm Ayako had made. "What do you think you're doing?"

Gene's eyes widened marginally before he gasped, jumping forward to grab Mai's shoulders the instant a scream left her lips.

"Mai!" He called, shaking the shivering girl, her body becoming wet as if she was standing in rain. "Wake up! You have to wake up now!"

"Gene?" Naru asked, trying his best to retain his calm exterior, but his inner anxiety was fighting through his emotionless shell and he felt himself fall to his knees beside his brother.

"Her dream... It's not like the others. The demon managed to capture her spirit from the plane she travels to in sleep. He's got her... He's going to kill her..." Gene whispered, feeling the heavy weight of defeat on his shoulders. "I'm her spirit guide damn it! I... I could have... I should have known the charm would have stopped my powers."

"You can still do something!" Naru yelled, his sudden outburst shocking the occupants of the room as he shifted his arms under Mai's shoulders before lifting her up to lean against the back of the couch. "Think Eugene! There has to be something?"

Masako's eyes softened as Naru's voice cracked, showing his hidden feelings for the brunette in his arms. Stepping forward, she placed a hand on his shoulder before giving him a reassuring smile, any jealousy she would have felt in her teenage years all but gone. "She's strong Naru... You of all people should know that..."

Oliver glanced at the dark haired medium in surprise before nodding slowly, looking at his brother with a pleading expression only to snap his head down to look at Mai as she let out another whimper before it was silent. "Mai?"

He got onto his knees and shook her gently, only to have his eyes widened. Quickly lowering his head to hers, he gasped loudly.

"She's not breathing... Gene! Do something!" Naru yelled at his brother. Said twin's eyes widened before he turned to his brother.

"She's been away from her body too long. We have to find her." Gene said as calmly as he could, placing a hand on his brothers free shoulder, sending him a knowing look before he stepped away, grabbing Masako as he went to give Naru some space.

"Psychometry..." Naru whispered, staring down at Mai tenderly.

"Noll... I know you care. We all do. But you can't-" Lin warned him, only to be ignore and Naru lowered his head and sealed his lips with Mai's. His brows knitted in concentration, barely focused on the kiss, despite how much he wanted to, but Mai's life was on the line and it unnerved him how cold her lips were.

Pulling away with a gasp, Naru's eyes were wide before he snapped his head up to look at Masako.

"Get the others!"

~X-x-X~

A few minutes later had Naru standing in the hall with Mai in his arms, while a frantic Masako clung to Ayako and an anxious Gene. Monk had come storming out of his room with a nervous John following in his wake. Angry words had been exchanged between the bassist and the narcissistic boss before Lin intervened as Ayako had a panic attack over wasting time.

"We have to break through a wall to get to the doorway. The headmistress thought it would be safer to seal off the doorway to the roof." With that, Lin handed out sledgehammers to John and Monk before leading to the wall next to base.

"Um... No offence Lin. But this doesn't look like anything has been sealed off..." Monk started, feeling the wall for cracks or any sign that a doorway had been sealed.

"Looks can be deceiving in this business. You should know that Takigawa." Lin told the blonde in a monotone voice, hiding his worry for his friend as best as he could.

Sighing, John hefted the hammer and swung at the wall, dust and paint flying off and revealing a poorly bricked doorway, some bricks already falling to the other side of the wall. Masako blinked as she clutched onto Ayako.

"It was just plaster?" Her question went unanswered as Monk joined John in beating through the false wall. In a few seconds, there was a hole large enough for them to fit through comfortably. Stepping through into the darkness of the newly opened corridor, Ayako turned on a torch that had been dangling from her wrist and pointed it down the dusty hallway. Taking a tentative step forward, she felt Masako shiver as a cold breeze rushed past them.

It wasn't the normal chill they would get during a storm, but the kind when paranormal activity was at its peak and as one, they all broke into a run, disregarding the ominous creak of the wooden steps that lead to the doorway that blocked them from their goal.

Without stopping, Monk sped up, lifting the sledgehammer above his head and swinging it down against the door. It splintered into thousands of tiny pieces that fell to the wet ground of the roof just as a scream rang out.

Naru and Gene were the first to break through the darkness of the small alcove that sheltered the door and stopped in their tracks the second they laid eyes on the demon.

It stood in its twisted body, clutching a struggling Mai who looked as though she had just died. Only, she very well might.

"Mai!" Monk called out, trying to get past Gene only to be stopped when the boy held him back. "Let go! We have to get her! She's right there!"

Gene just shook his head in a manner that instantly stopped Monk's struggles. His face was pulled tight and slowly, Gene released Monk before taking a cautious step forward.

"Stop..." The demon hissed, pulling Mai closer to it and the brunette cringed as its' breathe fluttered over her face. "Any closer and I'll kill her."

"Why are you doing this?" Naru asked as calmly as he could, tightening his grip on Mai's physical body.

"Do you humans understand who I am?" The demon asked in turn, only receiving a shake of the head, Gene's way of saying no without speaking to Mai's captive. "Then of course you wouldn't know. But let me explain... This girl here has already figured out that this school used to be a prison. However, how many of _you _knew that? How many of you knew that prisons usually have the most demonic spirits in them?"

"The records only said a detention facility. Any police records or injuries that _you _caused were only recent. The only links were the types of phenomena found." Lin answered, stepping up beside Naru.

"Ah. Yes. The good old days... My name back then escapes me but I was a killer. How many I killed... I don't know. But there screams gave me pleasure and it excited me when the begged for mercy. Oh how I remember their weak, pitiful voices. _'Please... Please don't kill me... I won't tell anyone, just let me go...' _Stupid fools, like it'd let go of my prey. But all toys must break." The demon sighed before snapping its head down to look at Mai as she managed to jerk from his grip and rushed to Naru.

"You are a sick monster. Now that I think about it, this case was pointless. All that research and effort for nothing." She yelled at the demon before touching her spiritual forehead to her physical one, merging with it in a glimmer of sparkles. A second later, a groan left her lips as she clutched at Naru's shirt. "I forgot how tiring it was to leave my body."

"You are foolish, girl. My prey never escapes!" The demon hissed and tried to lunge for her only to be stopped by a barrier. "What?"

It was then that it noticed Monk chanting, a golden tool clasped between his hands.

"You are weak. Feeding off the fear of the living to give you power. Your delusions are over. Now, you'll pay for your sins." Gene told the demon, glaring uncharacteristically at the disfigured body that was once human. "You only think you can intimidate us because you're a demon. But you've just killed so much, not even hell wanted your twisted soul."

"You know nothing!" The demon cursed, beating against the barrier.

"We do. But I have a question. Why start now? If you've been dead since before 1976, why wait?" Yasu asked, walking up behind the group with a camera pointed at the demon but staying under the alcove by the door.

"Again you prove your stupidity! Their fear had to grow before I could begin, but it had to be contained and continuous! Once it became a boarding school, it worked out perfectly for me." It smiled a sinister smile before frowning at the sound of feet splashing in the rain. Turning to look, it saw Mai standing unsteadily infront of Naru and trying her hardest to aim her gun.

"You are pathetic. You wasted our time and hurt so many people. For that, I'll make sure you pay." Mai hissed, her anger making her shaking worse.

"With that pathetic toy? Please. You're weak! Admit it! Alone you can do nothing! If it hadn't been for the foolish medium destroying the charm, they wouldn't have even found you and your soul would have been mine! Your nothing without others!" The demon scoffed at her as she struggled to stand on her own before its eyes grew wide.

Naru took his place directly behind Mai, wrapping his arms around her. One hand steadying her arm, while the other covered her finger on the trigger.

"It takes strength to rely on others. I learnt that because of Mai and that made me stronger. We've all grown because of Mai and we will always be there to save her." Naru's speech was echoed with a series of agreements, "Because of Mai... There is one less demon in the world to cause trouble."

With that, they pulled the trigger and a loud _bang _echoed through the night, accompanying it was a bright flash of lightning and an inhuman scream...

~X-x-X~

**SOM: I'm soooo sorry for the lack of updating. But between tests and studying and what not, I just haven't had time. Also due to tests, I lost interest in this case. I just felt that the boarding school had been done one too many times.**

**Naru: But there was one benefit out of this case...**

**Mai: And what would that be?**

**Lin: He kissed you.**

**Mai: o.o What!**

**Naru: Nothing to worry about Mai. Just relax.**

**Monk: Anyway, while we now have blackmail, we'd like to thank the following people for reviewing the previous chapter.**

**Ayako: Even though it was poor quality. **

**SOM: Hey! I tried!**

**Monk: Anyway, thank you to: **xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Fire Kitty2812, MaiShibuya, Krissy2lip, Hitori15, Sangkyuu **andeveryone else that reviewed or added the story to alerts/ favourites or added SOM to their favs! ^.^**

**SOM: Seriously guys, you are really appreciated. I was going through a hard time and you guys really made me feel better. I wasn't the biggest fan of my last chapter, so I hope this one kinda made up for it.**

**Mai: Yeah! You rule! But for everyone else stay tuned for the next chapter. **

**John: Aren't they trying to demolish it but something isn't letting them?**

**Mai: i think so. I heard that some workers stayed late and all of the sudden, the wrecking ball fell from the crane and killed them!**

**Naru: Our new case **'Case 3: Medical Emergency.'

**Masako: Abandoned hospitals... Great...**

**Ayako: Until then, stay safe. Until next time on Cases of a Different Kind!**

**Mai: Things are about to get dangerous! **


	8. Case 3: Medical Emergency Part 1

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 3: **_Decrepit, haunted hospital… Angry spirits… Poltergeists that target women and a possessed Masako... Could things get any worse? I think so…_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape or form. Unfortunately, but, I can still manipulate my own plot! :D Enjoy. Song inspiration for this chapter is '__**Jar of Hearts' **__by Christina Perri._

_**Warning: **__This chapter is considered a __**High T**__ rating for gore and mild swearing, blink and you might miss it. Also, if you do live near a hospital, any paranoia you develop is not my fault. Leave a review please!_

**Case 3: Chapter 8: Medical Emergency**

After their last case, Naru had been relatively aggravated. Not only was he not getting interesting cases, but he seemed to be turning down clients left and right the second he found the report or sighting boring. Mai had to go between the precinct and the newly refurbished SPR office to keep her sanity from the narcissist's snippy attitude that had occurred sometime after Gene went back to the spirit plane.

The walls had been, again, painted a pale, champagne colour with deep, polished oak flooring. The doors, their frames and the window sills were accented by a dusty white coat of paint. The kitchenette had been expanded so that the room was twice as big, fitting a love seat and a table for four. A white tile floor matched the wooden cabinets of the room as well as the stainless steel appliances that had been put in, courtesy of Madoka's persistence.

The sitting area for clients remained mostly the same with furniture layout, the only difference was that the blinds over the windows were less industrial with soft, grey fabric instead if the sheets of rough material that would have done nothing to hide the snow covered world outside.

Three doors lined the wall opposite the kitchen. The first, closest to the window, was the newest attachment, Mai's office. Beside it was the relatively untouched office of Naru's. Also fondly referred to as his _dungeon. _Beside that, was Lin's who was closest to the new small hallway that lead to a store room. At the end of it was a bathroom with a window opposite the new storeroom. Mai had dubbed it the _spy window, _as now it was easier for them to catch any of the team members that tried to run when they had to load equipment into the van before a case.

Our favourite narcissist was currently helping Mai with the lounge area for clients, screwing the clothes rack to the floor. He didn't think there would be a repeat performance of the killer ghost that had wanted Mai, but he didn't care. Better safe than sorry, right?

"Naru?"

Said man whipped his head around to see Mai, curiosity flashing across her face before she smiled warmly at him, trying her best to hide her previous quizzical expression.

"Yes Mai?" He asked, standing from his place on the ground and dusting the imaginary dirt from his suit.

"I made tea for you." She told him quietly while holding out the said tea, "Also, Ayako called. She said she had a case you might be interested in."

~X-x-X~

An hour later had Naru, Mai and Lin sitting in the new, dusty black coloured seats in the lounge, waiting for the now forty-five minute late Ayako and Monk. As if on cue, the sound of pounding footsteps rang through the air and before they knew it, the door smashed open, slamming into the newly painted wall with a resounding _bang._

Groaning under his breathe, Naru made a mental note to either kill Monk or place something behind the door to prevent any future damage . Thought the first option sounded pleasing, it would upset Mai and that was something he did _not _want to do any time soon. Not only was she giving him a place to stay, but her food was to die for… Not that he would ever let her know that… _maybe…_

Subconsciously licking his lips, Naru cleared his throat as Monk tackled Mai in a hug, lifting her from the couch.

"Mai!" I missed you!" He squeezed the poor brunette girl to the point where she was gasping for breath.

"Its… only… been… three... da-days…" She wheezed. Not a second after the last word left her lips, a familiar but welcome _whack _entered her ears. Ayako's purse connecting with the back of Monk's head with practiced precision.

"Leave the poor girl alone!" Ayako huffed glancing at her watch as she lowered her ar before her eyes widened. "But we don't have time for this! Come on!"

With that, she reached forward and grabbed Naru and Lin by their collars and dragged them out the door, while Monk just carried Mai out. She resisted long enough to grab her coat and bag, a great feat when she was still being crushed by the over bearing monk.

The three were then forced into the back seat of Ayako's car before said women got in the drivers' side and revved the engine, tearing out onto the seat before Monk could fasten his seat belt.

"What's going on?" Naru snapped, the only thing making the predicament better was that Mai was next to him. The sadistic side of him glad that it was her squished between himself and Lin.

"The place I wanted you to check out... It's scheduled for demolition." Ayako said, pulling onto the highway carefully so as to not slip of the frozen roads.

"Then what's the rush?" Lin asked casually, looking at Ayako through the rear view mirror.

"A better question is, why are we going in the first place if it's scheduled for demolition?" Naru sneered, annoyed at having been dragged out of the office without his coat.

"That's just it. Every time they tried to take it down, something went wrong. The first time they tried using dynamite, only to have it thrown at them from a window two storeys higher than where they had placed it. It ended up killing three people and injuring most of the others. We've tried multiple times since then, but the results only got worse." Ayako stated grimly, pulling into the exit road and into a more desolate one.

"We?" Mai asked quizzically, watching the scenery pass with growing curiosity as well as something else... Dread? Anxiety? _Fear? _

"My parents own the place. They wanted to make it into a small clinic so that those with little money could still get the health care they need. Only, something got in the way. I think it's paranormal." The red head answer before turning another corner. From the car, the passengers could see a monstrous building of crumbling stone and broken windows taking over the horizon.

Pulling up, Ayako jumped out of the car with Monk following her example while Mai practically kicked Naru out so she could go after the red head woman.

"What are they going to use this time?" Mai yelled, running after the older pair as they rushed down the broken drive-way.

"Look up!" Monk replied, turning off the road and cutting through the dead flower bed that had once acted as a beautiful sign for the entrance of the now run down hospital. Glancing up at the top of the building, she saw a giant crane, a wrecking ball a scant _meter _from the condemned building.

"Stop!" Ayako yelled, slamming the gate open and running up to one of the workers. "You've got to _stop_!"

Once the others caught up, they listened as Ayako yelled at the workers to leave, but they were too late.

The wrecking ball slammed into the side of the building, small chips of rumble raining down on the team and workers.

Monk tried to pull Ayako before things got out of hand but Mia's attention was drawn to something else that she could barely make out.

_Rrraaaarrrwwwwwwww! _

Mai shuddered, the bodiless screech chilling her to her bones, even the _snow_ was warmer. But it seemed only she had heard the horrible sound and she gasped when she looked back at the building. Running forward, she pushed past Ayako and grabbed the foreman's of the Foreman's shirt.

"Stop this! Stop it now! You've got to stop!" She yelled, her panic and fear making her voice quiver and her eyes to widen. The worker twisted out of her grip and ran to a small group of men and began shouting orders while Mai rung her hands together, nervously eying the ball of destruction a few storeys up.

"Mai?" Ayako asked the girl, blinking as she saw Naru go up and rest a hand on her shoulder. With a nudge of his head, he signalled her to move away and she obeyed without question.

If anyone could get Mai to talk, it as Naru.

"Please no… No. Don't do it." She whispered as he walked up behind her.

"What is it Mai?" He asked her gently, causing her to swing around and nearly lose her balance until Naru stretched out his arm and caught her around the waist.

"Naru!" Mai yelled, shocked at the care he was showing.

"What is it Mai? This isn't like you." He told her softly, gingerly holding her up as he moved to stand infront of her.

"I… Have this feeling… It's unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's… _evil_…" She whispered, looking at him, but he felt as though she was staring _through him, _to something else.

"Evil? Mai, we deal with evil spirits most of the time. How could it be different?" He jumped when she gasped, her hand grabbing his shoulder and her nails digging into the material of his jacket.

Twisting his body so that he was still holding onto Mai, he followed her wide eyed gaze and watched on in silent horror as the wrecking ball swung at the building again, only the wire holding it to the crane seemed to shake before it hit the wall again, producing a loud, high pitched, mechanical _snap, _which echoed through the air.

Moving his hand to grab Mai's arm, Naru ran as fast as his legs could carry him after making sure the others were following. Once they got back to the fence, they turned around just as another _snap _rang through the air and Naru pulled Mai to his chest.

The workers cries of shock and fear chilled them all to the bone as Mai hid her face in Naru's jacket while Ayako clung to Monk. In a split second, a deafening _bang _reached their ears and the cries were silenced.

Looking up, they coughed, dust that had been lifted from the objects' fall filling their lungs and making their eyes water.

"Lin! Call emergency services!" Naru yelled, trying to keep Mai from looking up, but it proved futile when she pushed him away and looked back towards the building before she went rigid, her hands clenching in his shirt.

"No…" She whispered, slowly letting him go and taking a shaky step forward. "No!"

She bolted forward, Naru reacting a second later and following after her with Ayako and Monk close behind him.

Mai skidded to her knees by the wrecking ball that sat in a crater, tenderly reaching forward to the bloody hand that stuck out from underneath it. A sob escaped her lips and she clenched her eyes shut when she heard Ayako gasp, tears falling silently down her pale cheeks.

"Dear god!" The red head exclaimed, about to continue when they heard a pain filled whimper.

"What?" Monk asked, looking around for the source. "How could anyone have _survived _that?"

"Over here!"

Following Lin's voice to the other side of the destructive ball, they found the Chinese man tending to a worker that had his leg trapped underneath the heavy mass. The worker let out a pain filled yell as he shifted in a poor attempt to free himself.

"Stay still! You could damage your leg further!" Ayako told him, kneeling next to him and examining as much as she could of the bloody, crushed leg without touching it.

"It's stuck under this _thing _lady! How much worse could it get?" The man asked, coughing through his aggravation before groaning.

"You could bleed out! Now stop moving so we can help you!" Mai snapped, drying her tears quickly before removing her belt from her jeans. "Naru, I need you to tighten this around his leg as tight as you can. Monk, see if there is anyone else who… _survived_. Lin, I want you to wait for the paramedics to get here and guide them straight to this man when they do. Ayako, if you have a medical box in the car, go get it."

Everyone blinked at Mai before nodding, going about their given jobs with renewed fever.

~X-x-X~

Two hours later found the SPR team at the old hospital, setting up base in a large camp-like tent with walls made of netting so they could see out but a cover on the outside so they could close it when it got dark.

Mai was currently talking with other police officers on the scene with Naru, while Monk and Lin moved the work lights from the construction site so they would be of better use.

Ayako had gone off to pick up John and Masako; Naru had decided that the decrepit hospital was something he could not overlook and that something had to be done about the spirits inside. After what Mai had said, the sooner it was over, the better.

_Flashback_

_The emergency crews arrived a few minutes after Lin called, getting straight to work on removing the injured man Mai and Ayako had tried so hard to save. Naru had gotten to work finding long pieces of fabric and placed them over the workers that didn't make it, covering the bloody body had Mai had seen first._

_Mai, with her authority as an specialised officer, was giving orders to the police that showed up, much like Ayako was doing to the medics. _

_Once things settled down, both Naru and Mai were sitting on an old bench by the dead flower bed, watching the police photograph and remove the dead from the scene._

"_Mai?" He asked, turning away from the morbid scene to stare at the brunette beside him. She showed that she was listening by humming softly, tilting her head in his direction to signal him to continue. "Earlier, when you panicked… What happened?"_

_She pondered the question, opening and closing her mouth before she sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back against the seat, hesitating when it creaked ominously under her weight._

"_I guess, in a way, it's like what Masako can do. She can hear and see spirits. But… I can see their true forms, demon or not and earlier... I saw a dark mist, a small mass of the dark spirit here, cover the length of the wrecking ball and steel rope just before it... it fell. There was this loud, high pitched scream too... I don't think I've ever heard anything so... so sinister."_

"_How many spirits do you think there are?" He asked quieter than he asked the last question._

"_From what I can tell… too many for me to count. All I can say is that there are good spirits here, but the evil in the building is too strong, they're rushing around in there and by the looks of it... I'd say we've just pissed them off... Now... They won't hold back. Play times over..."_

_~X-x-X~_

Night had fallen at the abandoned hospital, the wrecking ball and any signs of the earlier accident having been cleaned up some time earlier in the afternoon. They all sat in some of the camping chairs Monk had brought from his place after Ayako had returned with the priest and medium who promptly fainted upon gazing upon the monstrous building.

Now, Lin was setting up monitors that would get feeds from cameras with leads and without which would be set up in the morning. Naru was trying to get information about the site and patients that had been in the hospital and Mai was filling out police reports about the day's events while also going through past accident reports.

Masako groaned as she was sat up in her seat, her nausea coming and going as the night dragged on. Naru asked a question which she barely caught, but just managed to understand the gist of what he was inquiring about.

"The spirits of the men that died this afternoon have not left yet." She told them, her voice wavering as she looked towards the darkened crater under the work light. "Their being held here by _something. _It so vile…"

"Could we exorcise them?" John asked, tenderly rubbing her shoulder.

"That would be impossible according to Mai." Lin chided, turning away from the final monitor he had finished wiring on the shelf.

"Mai?" The blonde priest asked, turning to look at the brunette sitting on the ground surrounded by stacks of papers and pens.

"Well, compared to earlier, even during the day they were active enough to… well… you know. When I looked inside one of the windows… It was pitch black, and imagine now, if you went in there, there would be a whole lot more activity and even darker that you wouldn't be able to see your hand infront of your face without a light. When I first went to SPR and then my career in the special police unit, nothing was like this..." She answered calmly, a small shiver rolling down her spine as she picked up another paper.

"So, what do we do now Naru?" Lin asked.

Naru however, didn't... or rather, he _couldn't _answer, as the sound of smashing glass echoed from outside and the light that had been coming from outside was cut out. Mai reached into her jacket for her gun and turned on the torch under the barrel before edging towards the flap of the large tent, stopping only to see if the others were following her, which they were.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and pulled the flap aside...

~X-x-X~

**SOM: So? How was that? Did you guys like the new case?**_**Sorry for any mistakes!**_

**Mai: You watch too many horror movies...**

**Naru: She most probably does... Or she lost too many brain cells...**

**SOM: Hey! I've got two weeks to get them back! **_**And **_**I was typing all week at school. Not like we were doing anything anyway... Last week of term and all...**

**Naru: That explains your low I.Q.**

**Monk: Oh no he didn't! :O**

**SOM: Naru... You're sooo going to regret that! (grabs Mai's gun)**

**Mai: Um... anyway, we'd like to thank the following people for reviewing the last chapter; **Fire Kitty2812, -dreamingwandererofthelight-, Krissy2lip, _Hitori15_, MaiShibuya, Jade Starlight, FanGirl11497, xSapphirexRosesxFanx

**SOM: Really, thank you guys for reviewing. It made writing this chapter really easy and I'm surprised I've managed to get it done so quickly. Also, thanks to everyone both new and old to this story! I hope you're enjoying it!**

**Monk: Finished getting Naru?**

**SOM: I got bored and wanna get to possessing Masako.**

**Masako: Hey!**

**SOM: Anyway guys, please review and stay safe! Till next time on Cases of a Different Kind: Medical Emergency.**

**Ayako:****Also, a meter is 100cm or about 40 inch's... I think. Don't really know how inches work, I just know its 2.5 centimetres divided by 100...**


	9. Case 3: Medical Emergency Part 2

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 3: **_Decrepit, haunted hospital… Angry spirits… Poltergeists that target women and a possessed Masako... Could things get any worse? I think so… Welcome new readers!_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape or form. Unfortunately, but, I can still manipulate my own plot! :D Enjoy. Song inspiration for this chapter is _**'Broken Promises'**___by Placebo._

_**A/N: I'm soooo sorry for the late chapter. It's also a kinda short chapter, so I apologise again. Seriously, I am so sorry. But now that I'm back at school after a two week holiday (plus two weeks already back at school), I'm ready to write. If any of you like Soul Eater, check out my new story, 'Fright Nights.' You don't even need to know much about Soul Eater to get it, So put me on alerts. It'll be up in an hour or two!**_

_**Also, I'd love you guys forever (not that I don't already. You guys rule), if you could get Cases of a Different Kind up to 100 reviews. I'll put in a bonus chapter after this case is over if you do! :D**_

**Case 3: Chapter 9: Medical Emergency Part 2**

_Previously: __"So, what do we do now Naru?" Lin asked._

_Naru however, didn't... or rather, he __couldn't __answer, as the sound of smashing glass echoed from outside and the light that had been coming from outside was cut out. Mai reached into her jacket for her gun and turned on the torch under the barrel before edging towards the flap of the large tent, stopping only to see if the others were following her, which they were._

_Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and pulled the flap aside..._

_~X-x-X~_

The group stepped outside and the glass fragments on the ground refracted as Mai shone her light across the dirty ground and cracked gravel. Construction lights once set up to light the building lay broken in pieces in the ground as they carefully picked their way through the wreckage. The ground was still unstable near the crater of where the wrecking ball had landed and they were all in silent agreement that they didn't want any more major accidents happening anytime soon. But with SPR, they could only dream.

Masako gasped, her hand clenching Monks' shirt in a vice like grip as the group turned. Shining her light on the medium, Mai watched as the girl paled as her violet eyes grew wide, pupils dilating rapidly as she gazed into the distance... Or more precisely, the broken entrance to the decrepit hospital.

Following her gaze, they didn't need the torch to see what had drawn the Masako's attention. Standing a scant few feet ahead of them was a transparent, _florescent_ girl. The apparition tinted green and sent shivers down the groups spine as she watched them from under her matted fringe. Long stingy hair clumped together and partially masked her bloody, torn hospital gown. Her lips, while shadowed, were twisted into a sadistic sneer before she laughed, a gurgled, twisted sound that would haunt them for the duration of their stay on the old hospital grounds.

"We have to go..." Mai whispered, seeing Naru nod stiffly out of the corner of her eye. But before they could do anything, the spirit drained the battery of Mai's torch and plunged them into darkness.

The chaos that insured... Was just that.

Multiple screams and yells were heard.

The only thing they could see was a flash of neon green before they were touched, pushed even thrown in Monk's case.

Sharp glass met skin and the last thing they heard before everything went dark...

Was Masako's scream die out and then the sound of shifting gravel... the sound of something or _someone_, being dragged away...

~X-x-X~

Groaning, Mai rolled onto her side, hissing when the feeling of something digging into her flesh shook away the fog of sleep that clouded her mind. Once she finally opened her eyes, she winced at the sun as it glared at her.

"What?" She asked, her voice husky for reasons that eluded her. "What happened?"

Turning to her side, she saw Naru kneeling next to her, his eyes scanning over her frame to check for... something.

"Naru?"

Turning, Naru and Mai watched as Lin walked over to them, a cloth of fabric clenched in his hand.

"Yes Lin?"

"It was Masako. This is a piece of her kimono from last night. All tracks lead _into _the building." Lin told them and Mai had to blink before the memories from the night before clicked into place in her mind. Gasping, her eyes widened before she shot up and onto her feet, glaring at the building as if it was the sole cause of Masako's disappearance. Which, in a way, it very well _was._

"Mai, we know you wanna go in there and get her back, but you know we can't. Even you said the place is crawling with spirits. Going in there is a death wish." Monk told her, taking her by the shoulder before she realised he was even nearby.

"But-", she started only to meet the eyes of a certain narcissist and she immediately went silent, all thoughts of defiance fleeing from her mind.

"We know Mai. But we have to think clearly about this. If that spirit took her with the intent to kill, then why not us? Even if it only wanted Masako, why not just kill her when she was with us? There has to be a reason."

With that in mind, the group went into the tent they had abandoned the night previous, taking various seats inside and finding a source of heat in the chilly morning. It was winter after all.

The day was spent thinking up plans before they found too many faults in them. As the sun rose higher in the sky, they all took turns going out in pairs to set up camera's around the perimeter of the hospital under the strict orders to not go anywhere near the building and to perish the thought of going in it.

Of course, knowing Mai, Naru made sure he was to be the one to go with her, but not even he could keep a proper eye on her. With the excuse that she needed some air after the events of the last few days, the members of SPR watched as the brunette slunk out of the tent, her shoulders slumped and Naru swore he saw a slight tremor in them.

Once she was outside, she took a deep breath and cast a fleeting glance to the cream tent before taking a few steps forward. She broke into a run when she heard movement and heard her name being yelled just as she crossed the threshold of the old, decrepit hospital.

Unaware of the terrors she would face as she continued on her way to finding her friend...

~X-x-X~

**SOM: I'm so sorry it's so short... I'm sorry it's so late... I'm so sorry. *Goes to corner* I'm sorry. **

**Mai: Um... Ok. While she's having a mental breakdown, I think I should let you know that she felt horrible for not updating in a while so she wrote this in an hour. Please forgive her.**

**Naru: If you do, she might write the next chapter faster. That way I can wring Mai's neck myself. =.=**

**Mai: Hey! Is it really that shocking that I'd do something like that?**

**Naru: ...**

**Monk: Anyway, thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter; **_HunnyBunnyChan, Miko-Monk, Fire Kitty2812, xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Ayjah, __Funnhause64 – anonymous, __Krissy2lip, FanGirl11497, lucero1142, __polaracebear- anonymous_

**SOM: Seriously guys, I LOVE YOU! Please forgive me and the major question for this chapter is...**

**Masako: **_Do you believe in the paranormal? Answer in a review!_

**Ayako: 0.0 Anyway, stay safe! Till next time!**


	10. Case 3: Medical Emergency Part 3

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 3: **_Decrepit, haunted hospital… Angry spirits… Poltergeists that target women and a possessed Masako... Could things get any worse? I think so… Welcome new readers!_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own nothin'... Unfortunately, but, I can still manipulate my own plot! :D Enjoy. Song inspiration for this chapter is _**'Hero'**_by Skillet ._

**Case 3: Chapter 10: Medical Emergency Part 3**

_~I'__m just a step away~  
~I'm just a breath away~  
~Losin' my faith today~  
~Fallin' off the edge today~_

"Mai!"

Naru burst through the tent flaps and froze as he watched the brunette disappear into the darkness of the hospital. Cursing, he was about to go after her when a firm hand held him in place. Expecting it to be Lin, he glanced at the ground before turning his head to demand that the person let go when he stopped dead.

Monk stood in the place Naru had expected Lin to be while the omnioji was standing by his computer, face twisted into one of concern and panic.

"Takigawa? Why-", Naru started, only to be shocked when the blonde tightened his hand on his shoulder. The older males muscles remained taunt as he fought his own urges to run into the haunted building himself.

"I want to go after her too. But Mai is a very capable woman now Naru. For now, we have to focus on getting Masako back _safely." _Lin told the dark haired male.

Panic danced in Naru's eyes at the prospect of leaving Mai with all the evil within the condemned hospital, but he saw the truth in his words and swallowed an angry retort of defiance. Straightening his jacket he brushed Monk's hand off his shoulder and retrieved his folder from the ground- having thrown it when Mai's intentions had become clear to him.

"Lin. Pull up a schematic of the hospital and the surrounding area. Ayako, Takigawa. I want the both of you to get as much information on the hospital as possible." Naru ordered and watched as Lin handed the couple some paper, pens and a spare laptop.

Sighing, Naru raked his hand through his hair before sitting in the lounge chair Mai had been sitting in earlier, her jacket draped haphazardly over its surface. Casting a quick look to make sure that everyone was doing their assigned task and _not _paying him any attention, he discretely grabbed the sleeve of the woollen jacket and placed it in his lap.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused on the young brunette that had thrown away her safety and chucked caution to the wind all for her possessed friend.

_~X-x-X~_

The interior of the hospital was worse than the outside. Old stretchers lay askew in the hallway, fabric torn and decaying. Paint chipped, charred and peeled off the wall and gently fell to the floor every few seconds that she stood there. The sleeve of her turtleneck held tightly over her mouth as she picked her way carefully through the debris covered floor, trying her best not to choke on the foul stench of the place.

Dodging around a light and a set of wires that hung from the ceiling, she cursed as she stopped in the middle of the second hallway that looked the same as the first and the lobby. Multiple corridors and stairways led off into different directions around her and only her training in the force kept her from panicking.

"Ok Masako. Where are you?" Mai asked, closing her eyes. Concentrating, she felt the sheer amount of spirits that hung around the broken building; most were the poor souls being kept in the place by the more malicious ghouls that lurked in the dark corners of the hospital.

The floor under her feet shook and she felt a dark spirit rush though the corridor below her, which she could only assume was a part of the underground tunnel system the hospital staff had used to get around faster. Following it with her mind, she felt the being stop before a sharp pain filled her head and she forced herself to swallow a cry as her knees made contact with the ground, her jeans serving as only mild protection from the uneven ground.

Cursing, she forced the pain away and stood on shaky legs. Squinting into the darkness of the hallway infront of her, Mai gasped, choking on the stench of the air that rushed into her lungs.

"Wait! Masako!" The brunette yelled, dashing down the broken hallway as fast as her feet would carry her. Turning down countless corridors and weaving through multiple stairwells, she watched as Masako came to a dead end...

Or what seemed to be a dead end...

The dark haired medium pushed open a set of off-white double doors that had weathered away from use a blended with the wall it was set in. Stopping outside them, Mai put her hands on her knees and took deep breathes in a vain effort to calm her pounding heart. It was hard to tell the time from inside the hospital, but from what she could tell from the boarded window was that the sun was now hanging low in the sky and dusk was quickly approaching. Gulping, she turned to look through the cracked window on the door before her and tried to catch a peek of Masako from within the dark room.

The room beyond was darker than the corridor, the broken windows being only slightly more boarded up that the ones in the hallway. Wires hung from the ceiling, catching what light they could as it cast eerie shadows across the ground. An overturned examination table lay on the floor with dark blotches of what she could only presume as blood staining it and the surrounding tile floor, once white paint peeled into dark, brown chips clumped and crisp with dust from the walls.

"Masako?" Mai called out cautiously, squinting in a futile attempt to look for her friend. Placing her hand on the door, her eyes widened and a sharp gasp left her throat as she tried to pull her arm away before her mind grew hazy with sleep. "No... not... here..."

X-x-X~

_Mai opened her eyes, noticing the hallway was brighter and cleaner than it was before. Panic lit a fire inside her gut as she spun around, facing the busy corridor behind her. _

_Haunted hospital plus astral projection equalled a very dangerous situation. One that Mai for once did __not __want to be in. _

_Bright lights shone from the ceiling within their metal cages, refracting easily off the white walls and tiled floor. People walked past her, old kimono's separating the patients from the staff with colour alone. _

_But the staff to Mai... She shuddered as one walked through her and past the double doors. The nurses seemed skeletal, faces thin and almost transparent. So transparent in fact that Mai could easily make out the outline of their teeth and facial bones._

_It was then that she heard it as the door swung closed._

_The screaming and crying from the room beyond._

_Turning around to face the off-white doors, Mai tenderly peeked through the wired glass and gazed curiously into the once dark hospital room. Her eyes widened when she saw a young girl with long black hair strapped down to the table that had earlier been over-turned. The girl tugged furiously at her restraints, tears streaming down her face._

_Off to one side of the room around a small metal trolley were a group of nurses and a doctor. The women wore bright white kimono's white the man wore a traditional doctors jacket, masks and gloves already covering the appropriate areas. Just as the nurses turned towards the restrained girl, a white clock flew off the wall, almost hitting two of the employees._

"_Now, now Midoriko." The doctor cooed, stepping over to her as her fight to be free renewed with burning vigour. "This won't take long at all. After this, you'll be as good as new."_

_A twisted smile formed on his face as he smoothed down the child's hair, ignoring the gagging sound she made as she tried to put distance between the two. Mai's stomach twisted as she watched, forcing herself to focus on the nurse putting the clock back on the wall. The date made her eyes widen and snap back to the young girl strapped to the cold examination table._

_October 3oth, 23:58_

"_No way... If she died now... This is not good." Mai whispered, only to gasp when she heard a quiet whimper from the young girl. Looking back, she winced as the doctor brought his hand down on the girl shoulder, and stepped in Mai's line of vision. All the brunette could see was a once blue kimono turn crimson. The young girls scream filled Mai's ears and she clamped her hands over them, striving to block out the horrible sound. Physically unable to turn away, Mai closed her eyes as the girls' body tensed before falling limp, all tension leaving her muscles the same time as the screaming stopped._

The sudden silence made Mai's ears ring and it took her longer than she wanted to, to gain her bearing. But once she looked up, she let out a sharp gasp and backed away from the door. The hallway was once again dark and decrepit but it held a sinister malevolence to it now that it made Mai want to run and never look back.

Lightning flashed through the boarded up windows and it was then that Mai realised that she was no longer dreaming. The evil in the place was literally right behind the door and she could feel the temperature dropping at a rapid rate.

The last thing she saw before everything went black was the Doctor walking through the doors and towards her, silver scalpel simmering in red liquid.

_~Naru~_

The group made their way through the hospital entrance just as the sun started to dip below the horizon. They gagged almost instantly upon entry as the smell filled their senses and Monk was the first to point it out.

"That's so gross!" The blonde pulled the sleeve of his jacket over his hand and placed it on his mouth to try stop the stench from making him sick, Ayako followed his lead while Naru and Lin just winced and moved forward.

"Which way Naru?" Lin asked, his voice tense as he recalled just how Naru found out where Mai was.

The dark haired man in question clutched Mai's jacket in his hands as he looked around.

"This way." Was all he said before bolting down the corridor, not caring whether the other kept up or not.

_~Earlier that day~_

"_Hey Naru!" Ayako called, putting down the phone and lifting the notes she and Monk had made._

"_What did you find?" Naru asked, head snapping up as he quickly made his way over to the pair, not caring of he lost his cool or not. He needed to find Mai and the sooner the better. Taking the pieces of paper that were held out to him, Monk started talking._

"_The hospital also had a mental asylum on the grounds. But most of it burnt down. There are some that say it was a freak accident but others say they saw a little girl walk out of the flames and disappear. The room that it started in was barely touched but the rest of the west wing was practically destroyed." _

"_That's not all." Ayako continued, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood up. "It happened on October 31__st__, exactly. The fire just lit up the place and it was gone even faster. The little girl that people described was a young girl by the name of Madoriko Hikowaru, a patient of the asylum. Her father was the chief of the hospital, his wife was the head nurse and they were famous for their treatments but the patients that left had horrible stories of patients that would scream and cry during surgeries he conducted. Patients that survived the fire said that she was scheduled to have a surgery that night. Her father was to conduct it with his wife and some of the staff."_

"_So... This room was both a part of the asylum and the central building." Naru mused, silently motioning for Lin to bring him the schematics. "This is the room."_

_Pointing to a room on the opposite side of the hospital to where they were, it read 'Therapy room.' _

"_So wait." Ayako said, staring intently at the map. "If the asylum was there and her father was a doctor... But if she walked out of that fire... It had to be her spirit. She must have died in the surgery and was out for revenge."_

"_That does seem to be the situation and if Mai was right, the little girl, Midoriko, must still be seeking revenge against her father who must be keeping the other spirits here. There's no other logical explanation for the haunting here."_

"_Then we have to go in before Doctor Hikowaru does anything he was known for..." Naru said. He was bothered by the name though. Hiko meant 'prince' while 'waru' meant evil. Did the doctor live up to his name? Was he really an Evil Prince?_

~Present~

"This is it." Naru said, chills running up his spine as he came to stand infront of the broken double doors Mai had been standing infront of earlier.

"Hey... Naru?" Monk called quietly, his voice quivering in shock. It caught Naru off-guard as the blondes voice was always strong no matter what the situation was.

"What is it Takigawa? We can't st-" Naru started, only to stop when he turned to see Monk kneeling by a puddle of liquid. A flash of lightning lit up the hallway and made the puddle sparkle a brilliant red. It was enough to make Naru's face turn pale and drop Mai's jacket.

"How old is it?" He asked, cursing himself when his voice quivered.

"Less than twenty minutes. I'd say even less then te-" This time Takigawa was cut off, but it wasn't because of someone from the group. A scream tore through the corridor from behind them and they spun to face the therapy room. The person in pain wasn't alone and they were just beyond the door.

Monk got up and launch himself at the broken door, hoping beyond hope that for once things would be easy for them. But of course, fate had other plans and he bounced harmlessly off the dirty surface, not even a rattle sounded from the door as Monk landed with a loud _thump _on the uneven floor.

"Damn it!" He cursed, standing back up when another scream filled the air, but it was another voice, but it too was familiar to them.

"It has to be Hikowaru! I can feel it!" Ayako yelled, the ever dramatic thunder clap punctuating her statement as the storm grew worse.

"Naru!" Mai yelled from behind the door. A dull _thud _echoed through the metal and it visibly shook. "Pull the door out! Pull it towards you!"

The sound of a struggle became clear as blood seemed out from under the doorway and the second voice joined Mai's.

"Please hurry. Mai can't keep him back for long and we are both hurt." Masako called, her voice duelled with that of a young girls, however scratchy it may have been.

"You heard them! Pull!" Lin yelled. The others were momentarily shocked at his command put quickly got over it for the sake of their friends. Within a minute, the door flew open and Masako and Mai fell to the floor.

Mai's turtle neck was cut and torn, an entire sleeve missing with blood coating most of her arm. Masako's kimono was in slightly better condition but the colour was tattered and a thick line of red followed a line from shoulder to shoulder, curving just under her collar bone.

"Hurry. We've gotta get outta here!" Mai told them, getting to her knees before turning around quickly and grabbing what looked like a container of... something. Naru put his hand on her good arm and pulled her up while Lin got Masako.

"Then let's go." Naru said and they all took off down the hallway. Mai tilted the container and started to pour the liquid just as a demonic roar sounded through the building, causing any lights still attached to the building to flicker at once.

"_My father is coming! My mother is very possibly already waiting for us at the entrance. We must be careful!" _The possessed Masako yelled. Midoriko's fear easily showed through her voice and now that they were helping her, she didn't seem as evil as when she had first taken Masako.

"It's ok! We'll get you out of here! I promised, didn't I?" Mai asked, smiling at the ghost girl that inhabited her friends body. A sign of reassurance that said the promise would never be broken.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence, the only sound being their heavy breathing and pounding feet as they skittered across the broken floor. Once the first floor staircase was in sight, they took the stairs two at a time before they came to a screeching halt in the lobby.

The air was frigid and felt heavy with evil. The skeletal nurses Mai had seen in her vision were waiting for them as well as the doctor.

"_Where do you think you're going Midoriko? You still haven't been cured and now we need to cure your friends too." _He hissed, his eyes red with evil.

"You're not getting any of us. We're taking Midoriko and there's nothing you can do about it!" Mai yelled, stepping infront of the cowering body the girl was using and pushing her further behind her. Throwing the container, clear liquid flew everywhere and somehow splattered over the ghosts instead of going right through them.

"_What? What is this? You wench! People like you shouldn't exist!" _The head nurse screeched, stepping up to her husband. _"The child I bore life to should have been killed the instant she drew breath!"_

"So much for intelligent spirits. Hey, Naru?" Monk asked, gaining the young mans attention. "Wanna do the honors?"

With a nod of his head, Naru reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, smirking when the spirits took a step back.

"_What do you think you're doing boy? Do you honestly think that will hurt us?" _Doctor Hikowaru asked, laughing before he was cut off.

"Yes actually, I do. If it wasn't for Mai fusing the surgical disinfectant with her powers, I may not have been able to. But it seems you're out of luck." Naru explained, flicking the lighter and a flame came to life as he bent down.

"_No!" _The wife and nurses rushed forward in an attempt to stop him, but they were too late. Monk started chanting along with Ayako to hold them back and by the time the fire hit the psychically altered liquid and it lit up like gun powder. A line of flames trailed back they way they came while the phantoms before the group screeched.

"Burn in hell!" Mai screamed, pushing past them carefully.

They burnt quickly but in their panic, they set the surrounding area on fire too. The SPR team struggled to get past the frantic ghosts before the smoke got to thick and they ran all the way down the driveway before they stopped.

Monk and Ayako dropped to the wet ground panting as Lin lent against the brick fence that once held a sign saying the hospitals name. But even that was lost as the heat from the fire made the last of the paint peel and fall away.

The decrepit hospital lit up like a Christmas tree as the flames licked the top of old roof before it caved in. A look of awe passed over Masako's face before her skin shimmered a pale green and Midoriko separated from the pale medium.

"It's over..." She whispered before a giggled burst through her lips. It took only a few seconds for Mai and Masako to join her before the three of them were laughing heartily. "Thank you... Thank you so much!"

"I... _We _promised we'd get you out. Your nightmare's over." Masako told the young girl whos smile turned into a grin and her hair turned sleek and clean, the knots disappearing as her kimono mended itself.

"Yes it is. I assume you want answers too?" Midoriko asked Naru.

"Yes. Those were your parents?" He asked and she nodded.

"They thought you need help and put you in the hospital?" Another nod.

"All this happened because you had ESP?"

"If that's what you call being a freak then yes." The young girl answered, her glow brightening to a pale lime green.

"If you're a freak then so are we." Mai joked, the others laughed too before Midoriko sighed warmly and moved towards Masako, her feet padding through the air before she hugged the young medium.

"I'm sorry for the trouble but you were the only one that could help me. You were the only one I could inhabit. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to show Mai my story..." Midoriko said, sadness filling her now sweet, childish voice as she went to hug Mai. "And thank you Mai, for actually listening. I'm sorry for the trouble."

After that, she moved back from the group and turned to face the burning hospital just as the roof caved in, sending ambers flying into the now clear night sky.

"Thank you all again. I'll never forget what you've done for me. Goodbye."

With that, Midoriko lit up with a fluresent green glow, just like her namesake and vanished into a better afterlife.

"That never gets old." Ayako mused, causing Monk to chuckle softly before he swung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they watched the stars. The silence was only broken when Naru stepped towards Mai and grabbed her bloody arm.

"May I ask how you two got hurt?" He asked, the answer was obvious but he wanted details and the fact that he didn't know was eating at him.

"I had a vision after Masako ran into the Therapy room. I watched Hikowaru kill Midoriko and when I woke up, he was there. I tried to run but he slashed my arm." Naru nodded, it easily explained the puddle of blood they found. "After that he dragged me into the room and when Masako tried to reach me, he attacked her. When we heard you outside, we tried to escape. That's about it."

The questions would have kept coming but the sound of distant sirens filled the night as emergency crews grew closer and Naru gingerly let go of Mai's arm so that he could place his hand on her lower back and gently guided her back to the tent.

It was only after Masako and Mai had gotten bandaged and the equipment was packed away that Mai asked Naru a certain question he had been dreading.

"Hey Naru? Where's my jacket?"

_~I need a hero~_

~A hero's gonna save me just in time~

**~X-x-X~**

**SOM: SO! DID YOU LIKE IT? I hope you did. I worked really hard on it! This chapter is also a special tribute to all my readers out there that have been so kind and supportive of my story so far!**

**Mai: Seriously guys, it means the world to her. She started crying when you guys got her over the 100 mark because of all your kind words.**

**Naru: Even I have to admit it was extremely nice of you all. She appreciated it.**

**Monk: So everyone from the Cases of a Different Kind (Ghost Hunt) cast and Shadow of Malice would like to thank everyone that has reviewed to this point in order from the first chapter (in italics will be anonymous reviews;**

Fire Kitty2812, Krissy2lip, _Hitori15, Yume, _RelayRando, -dreamingwandererofthelight-, xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Ariana Taniyama, CrossPixie-Kiki, heavenslilang420, smilingspaz, Rosebud in Amber, Hitori15, _Anne, _thearistocrat, mytruthaboutlife, ToriSOS, Tomatosoup inc., _Stalker, _bbhelen3162, DramaxLifesxAdventure, missyangel87, _Amu Rose Cross, _CodeHalo, ..awsum, SilverStella, crazylittlecheezer, _Taylor, _HunnyBunnyChan, MarisaKamy, BloodyXan-Xan, MaiShibuya, _Lilac, _akjupiter, okami-naruto101, DarkRose121315, Flamegirl5500, FanGirl11497, WolfSpirit95, Chibi-Kyuubi-Chan, LoveTheCrazy, Blueheart121, Yuna-moon-lovely, Sangkyuu, Jade Starlight, Miko-Monk, Ayjah, _Funnhause64, _lucero1142 and _polarcebear._

**Ayako: A special thank you to those that reviewed the last chapter and actually got us past the 100 review point: **

HunnyBunnyChan

..awsum

Lucero1142

MaiShibuya

Krissy2lip

_Polaracebear_

_Funnhause64_

Hitori15

xSapphirexRosesxFanx

Ayjah

FanGirl11497

_Lil achance_

**SOM: Really you guys are way too nice. But because you're all so wonderful to me, I'm putting in a small bonus haunting in the next chapter.**

_**Chapter 11: Sub case; Haunting train**_

_**Summary: While on their way to a remote village, the train SPR was using to get to the countryside broke down. Not wanting to waste time, Naru pulls some strings and gets an old train from the depo. But maybe he got more than he bargained for...**_

**Lin: Until next time, stay safe and remember...**

**Masako: _Sometimes those things in the darkness aren't always just your imagination_...**

**SOM: Thanks again guys and please keep reviewing!**


	11. Case 4: Subcase A Haunted Track

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 4: **_Naru's never really been a patient person. But when his impatient endangers the SPR team __before __the case starts, how will things turn out? _

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter is '_**Haunted' **_by Kelly Clarkson. (It's way too catchy.)_

**A/N: **_While I was writing this bonus chapter for you guys, I was playing the music from my I-pod and all the songs matched perfectly to what I was typing. It freaked me out so bad. Haha._

**Chapter 11; Case 4- Sub-case 1: A Haunting Track**

Mai sat in the old, musty train car as she waited for Naru and the others to come back. It started out as a normal day. SPR heading out for a case and all. The only problem was, they had to take a train to the site as there were no roads they could take. The snow frosted the window outside the dusty window.

Naru, having become annoyed at waiting for the train to be fixed, made a few calls and got a train, the one Mai was currently sitting in, and had magically disappeared... Along with everyone else. John and Takigawa were helping Lin load the equipment into the other cart while Masako, Ayako and Yasuhara had run to the shops to get food as it was a day and a half trip to the secluded village. Naru was... well, she didn't know _where _he was, but she hardly ever knew where the narcissist went, so that was relatively normal.

The cabin was that akin to what you saw high classed socialites sitting in while travelling in the 90'ies. Yellow and gold coloured bench seats filled one end of the cabin, soft material cushioning Mai as she sat. The other half of the cart was a small dining area that also lead to a bathroom and then the drivers cart. There were two more couches behind Mai's, the one immediately through the door was one with covered furniture and seemed to have been an entertainment area, after that, was storage. That cart was were the guys should have been.

A sneeze broke the silence as the brunette sniffled, the very reason _why _Mai was sitting all by herself in a dusty, half lit train cart, shivering in the new jacket Naru had gotten her. It was thick black wool with a high collar and cuffed sleeves. Big buttons helped Mai close the jacket when she wore her gloves and the belt around her waist fit snug against her comfortably as she shifted in her seat, knees drawn up to her chest. The hem of the jacket went mid-thigh and acted as a blanket.

The sound of the door at the far end of the cabin drew her attention and she sat up, looking around for the cause of the sound. After a few seconds, she brushed it off as her imagination and turned back to the window. Only to gasp.

A pale man stood behind her in the reflection, clothes torn and bloody as he smiled a twisted smile at her. Swinging around, she jumped from the seat and drew her gun from the thigh holster she had strapped on. Stepping into the isle, the once calm upholstery and moth eaten curtains gave the room an eerie malevolence that made Mai want to bolt. Placing one foot infront of the other, she cast quick glances at the spaces under and between seats to make sure nothing would jump at her. Reaching to door to the drivers compartment, she took a deep breath and grabbed the handle.

_It was freezing cold..._

Mai reached the door open and was faced with a wall of darkness, evil slapping her in the face as she took a step back. Her head, already fuzzy from her cold, became unbelievably clouded the longer she stayed in the doorway.

"_Mai!" _A familiar voice called out to her, but it sounded distant.

"_Mai! Wake up!" _More voices joined the first and her head swam, the world tilting as everything went black.

"Mai!" The brunette jolted up in her seat, panting and covered in sweat, she looked around with panicked eyes. Naru knelt beside her, hand on her shoulders while he took in her frantic behaviour. "It's okay Mai. It was just a dream."

The rest of the SPR team had gathered around Mai's bench, each holding an expression of equal concern to their boss'.

"No..." She panted, head shaking as the dream sent chills down her spine. "That... It wasn't _just _a dream. It... It was too real. There's something on this train with us... And it's not happy."

Her comment chilled them.

"What do you mean Mai?" Naru asked, lifting her legs and placing them on top of his after he sat down beside her.

She looked at him before closing her eyes, consciously refusing to look at the window beside her. She explained her dream and asked Ayako to make a charm for the driver. From what she could gather, the drivers cabin was not a safe place to be... not in the least...

"Well, we can't gather information and we can't exactly stop the train in the middle of no where. Who knows how badly things could turn out." Naru pondered, Mai nodding slowly as he continued, "We'll just have to take precautions, maybe get some equipment out. Mai. Get your mind of the dream and get two of the new camera's, a few recorders and one of the laptops."

She nodded shakily, dreading the thought of walking through the dark cabins to get the required items. Standing, she took the torch Lin held out for her and smiled at him before opening the door. Flicking on the light, Mai took comfort in the heat her fever gave her as she made her way through the crowded room. Each step send dust flying and she coughed when she opened to door to the storage area. Aside from the few pieces of original furniture, the rest of the items belonged to SPR. Carefully opening some of the cases, Mai pulled out a spare bag and placed the items in it.

Closing the container with a loud _'click,' _she stood up and checked the bag to make sure she had everything.

"Laptop..." She mumbled, looking around for the leather bag Lin kept the electronic device in. Spotting it by the door, she stumbled over to it, her fever making her oblvious to how the temperature began to drop.

The sound of scraping met her ears and she spun around, the flashlight beam moving sporadically as she tried to find the source of the noise.

'_Got you...' _

The voice chilled her feverish skin and she spin around to face the corner. The same person from her dream stood there, wavering in and out of sight. She backed away before running out of the room, the items Naru had asked her to get held tightly to her chest as she dodged furniture in her way. Halfway across to lounge area, the storage door slammed shut and the cabin grew frigid.

"Mai! What are you doing?" Naru called, the door opening and letting light stream in. He, along with Masako and Lin walked in. Just as they made it past the threshold, the door slammed, leaving Takigawa to pound against it in an attempt to gain entry.

The phantom tackled Mai, causing her to fall onto a sheet covered couch and roll to the floor. Glancing up, she made sure the equipment was safely placed on the sofa before standing.

It was gone. They looked around for it until Masako screamed. The ghost had her by the hair and punched Naru away when he tried to he tried to get to her. Lin tried to use his shiki but was slammed into the wall when the ghost lifted its hand. It turned to Mai and grinned before lifting Masako from the ground, her pained cry falling on deaf ears as he chuckled her at Naru and charged at the brunette.

Slipping into a protective stance, the phantom passed through her and Mai felt as though she had frozen in place. Her body was numb and she didn't have time to move when the ghost passed through her again, this time, pain exploded behind her eyes as her head began to pound, a cut found its way across her cheek and she hissed, dropping painfully to the ground to dodge another sweep.

Lin whistled again and drew the ghosts attention. It hissed at him before attacking the omnioji like it had Mai. The Chinese man cursed as he was forced to the ground.

"Lin!" Naru yelled, supporting Masako since she fainted.

"Nau-maku san manda bazara-dan kan!" Monk charge into the room, talisman in hand as he glared at the phantom that had attacked his friends. It shrieked in rage before evaporating, the darkness reeking of hate as everyone got their bearings.

Not liking the room, Mai grabbed the electronics and ran into the lit cabin, not stopping till she was in the middle of the cart. The others followed, placing Masako on the bench closest to Mai before taking their seats around a dining table. Ayako attended to the unconscious psychic while Naru bent down to look at Mai. His thumb ran gently over her cut cheek and her cheeks flushed, which she would later say was due to fever.

"I'm fine!" She snapped, slapping his hand away before guilt slammed into her like a tonne of bricks. "I... I'm sorry Naru. That was uncalled for."

The narcissist just shook his head before helping her up and guiding her to a seat before sitting next to her.

"It's understandable. No matter how long you work in the paranormal business, it never stops being scary. Besides, you're sick. No need to worry." His compassion started Mai, as well as all the others in the area.

"Naru! How come you never care for me so much?" Yasu yelled, his voice full of the dramatic tone that usually cause Monk to run the other way. Naru shot him a glare before turning to the equipment bag.

"Good work Mai ." Again, Naru said something nice to her and she was about to thank him when he told her, "Now make some tea."

Puffying out her cheeks, she stood up and went to the counter to fulfil the request.

~X-x-X~

The rest of the night had been uneventful, except for Yasu chasing Monk around the cabin, Masako sleep walking and kissing John on the cheek which caused the blonde to panic. The scene caused Ayako to laugh so hard that she fell off her seat. Lin had fallen asleep reading, to which Mai covered him with a spare blanket and then she too, proceeded to fall asleep, head resting on Naru's shoulder. The oddest think however, was that he didn't push her off.

Casting her a glance every now and then, Naru relaxed as he watched the scenes on the laptop. One half of the screen showed the storage cart while the other half showed the lounge. He just started dozing off when the camera showing the storage area shut off, static filling the screen before the lounge went blank. Cursing, he grabbed Mai by the shoulder and sat up, careful not to wake her incase it was a false alarm. Battery camera's usually ran out quickly, right?

The lights in the room flickered as the temperature dropped, a loud screech filled the air, causing Lin and Mai to wake and the others to huddle closer to the center of the moving room. The bag Mai had used to carry the equipment into the room flew at Takigawa and he clawed at it as it blinded him.

"Get it off! Get it off!" He ran around, screaming at the ghost while trying his best to start chanting his mantra. Ayako tried to help when her hair started floating. She froze in place as the air whipped around her. The next second, the wind stopped and Ayako looked at her hair before screaming, running to her bag for a brush and tore it through the knots in her hair.

"Um... Naru?" Mai asked, tilting her head at the scene before her.

"Yes Mai."

"I... I don't think this is the same ghost we saw earlier." She told him. He quirked a brow in her direction as they watched the phantom play with the rest of the team. It was now currently tickling Masako.

"I suppose it's not. But then... Where is the one from earlier?" The question went unanswered as the playful ghost let out a shriek and Mai felt a chill go down her spine. Snapping her head to look down, she gasped when she saw transparent hands wrap around her ankles and pull.

Mai hit the ground with a loud and painful '_thump'. _She let out a squeak of pain and clawed at the ground as it pulled her under the seat and past the rows of benches toward the door.

"Mai!" Monk yelled. He got to the door before them and stabbed the poltergeist with his talisman, chanting while trying to maintain his grip against the ghost. Ayako came up behind him to perform the nine cuts and John prayed. It was Lin's shiki that killed the spirit however, the shining orbs cutting through it like a knife to hot butter.

Once it was gone, the playful spirit, who had fled in fear, floated casually back into the room before trying its best to hug everyone. The last one he hugged was Mai and she gasped when it pulled away.

"You! You're the one from my dream! You weren't evil. You were just the entertainer!" Her realisation caused the spirit to smile and clap enthusiastically before glowing a bright golden colour and disappearing just as the sun came up and shone through the window. Everyone shared a laugh as Naru helped Mai up.

Over the intercom, an elderly mans voice said, _'Village of Kage coming up.'_

It was then that Naru spun around and raced to the drivers compartment. Mai followed and gasped when the door opened. No one was driving the train.

"Well, this was an interesting few hours." Yasu's voice rang out, like this kind of incident was the most casual thing ever. Everyone turned to him (yes, Naru too) and gaped at him.

**~X-x-X~**

**SOM: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the wait for the bonus chapter. All the reasons for my lack of updating (all legit might I add) are on my profile, so check it out! Polls still open too! **

**Ayako: How dare you mess up my hair! (pulls out brush and swings it threateningly)**

**Monk: Please review so that SOM can put up another chapter, otherwise Ayako's gonna beat her to death. (chases after Ayako)**

**Masako: Despite this oddity, we'd like to thank the following people for reviewing; **Krissy2lip, Miko-Monk, xSapphirexRosesxFanx, _Funnhause64, _MaiShibuya, FanGirl11497 and kikikfan21.

**Naru: Well, we must go help the author from imminent death.**

**Lin: Stay tuned all.**

**John: Those having exams, GOOD LUCK YOU ALL!**

**Mai: And check out the facebook page for SOM. Sneak peeks and so on available. Also, ask the author anything.**

**SOM: Bbbbbyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!**


	12. Case 5: Strange Tides Part 1

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 5: **_The Village of Kage, a small, disused port town secluded from the rest of modernised Japan. After a paranormal trip to their case, can SPR cope with a haunted ship and murderous spirit?_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter is _**'My Last Breath'**_by Evanescence. (And, obviously, the movie Ghost Ship.)_

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating**_. But, my yearly exams are over! Woo! So I'm going to try update at least a few more times before school starts again in three weeks (but please don't get your hopes up.) _

**Enjoy! :D**

**Chapter 12; Case 5: Strange Tides Part 1**

"Thank you for coming on such short notice."

The team watched as a young couple walked towards the train as the team pulled equipment from the once dark storage coach.

"Well, when you informed us of the situation, we realised we had to come as soon as possible." Naru told them, his voice dripping with false kindness as he walked to them and started talking to them about the case.

"Oh geez. It's kinda sad how people fall for it every time." Mai chided, eyes rolling as she grabbed a box from Monk and placed it down.

The small station was perfect for the equally small village and the platform was at just the right height so even Masako could help. At first, the team had been shocked when she offered her assistance, when she made a comment regarding Mai's flu and how _un-useful _she was at the present time.

A few minutes passed before all the equipment was ready to be set up so the team sat around, joking and, in Yasu's case, annoying each other before Naru came back.

"Lin. Mai. Let's go. We're going to check out the ship. Everyone else, stay here and stay in radio contact. Activity isn't restricted to the boat." Naru smirked at them before he walked towards the row of trees behind the station.

Lin sighed before grabbing torches for himself, Naru and Mai before beckoning said woman to follow. She did so only after laughing at Ayako as she threatened Monk of the consequences of him leaving her alone.

Following after the dark haired men, Mai made her way into the small forest, the sun slowly setting. To her, the day had flown by and it disturbed her when she didn't hear the characteristic song of the woodland insects and birds. She heard a twig snap behind her and she swung around, eyes squinting as she saw something move behind a tree. It had been too fast for her to see but it made her skin crawl none the less.

"Mai! Hurry up!"

The voice yelled right in her ear and she emitted a small squeak of surprise before turning to face Naru. His smirk was ever present on his face before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the trees. They ended up on a pier with a small beach off in the distance of the bay. Wood was rotten and worn, creaking ominously under their feet as they joined Lin and the clients at the ramp leading to their destination – A boat.

Large in size, the boat looked to have been about four levels with the fifth having the captains quarters and viewing deck.

"I assume this is the boat that you purchased?" Naru asked, still not letting go off Mai's arm.

"Yes. I'm afraid we don't know much about it. But we do know that there were no bodies found or even any evidence to how a cruise ship ended up here. But after the police finished with it, they said if we wanted it, we could buy it." The woman said, dark hair pulled back in a tight bun as her, what Mai could only presume was her husband, held her.

"What do you mean, _no bodies? _Why would they look for bodies?" Mai asked, eyes narrowed as she pulled her arm back and crossed her arms, ignoring the look of irritation Naru sent her way. Why he looked that way, she didn't know.

"Well, if the ship would have capsized, it would have sunk so the internal damage couldn't be explained." The husband spoke up, "By the way, my name's Shojo, this is my wife Ranka. I don't believe we've been introduced."

Mai gazed at the pair before nodding, introducing herself before holding her chin in her hand. "What kind of internal damage are you talking about?"

They were about to answer when Naru walked away, Lin following. Shojo just let out a nervous chuckle before nodding his head, telling Mai to follow them.

Mai sighed, shaking her head at her bosses straight forward behaviour as Naru and Lin disappeared over the gangplank infront of her. She warily looked over the edge of the wharf and into the dark waters below before swallowing thickly. It had been a while since she had been by open water and it wasn't that she had an aversion to water, more of an aversion to boats _on _water. While she didn't mind swimming pool and lakes, she still preferred her feet on dry land.

Grasping the railing of the gangplank, she made her way up the shaking walkway, the rusty contraption shaking with every step and threatening to break under her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she got to the deck and closed her eyes- Only to bite back a scream when she opened them again.

A little girl stood before her and Mai placed a hand over her racing heart.

"Gosh! You scared me."

The little girl made no sign that she had heard Mai speak as she stood infront of the older woman, her long, red hair matted and hanging in clumps down her back. Eyes blank, like two frozen chips of ice.

Mai swallowed nervously, examining the little girl before her. She didn't look Japanese and the red hair made her look like she had just stepped out of a western movie set from the forties. The blue dress the little girl wore matched her thick white stockings and black Mary-janes.

"Uh... I guess you don't speak Japanese?" Mai tried to say, her English heavy with her accent.

Still, the little girl said nothing and it was then that Mai noticed how cold it had gotten. Sure, it was winter, but the weather change couldn't have been that sudden. The sun was still up... if barely.

Opening her mouth to speak, she stopped when the little girl raised her hand and pointed to her left, body staying firmly in place.

Puzzled, Mai turned her head to look, frowning in confusion when she saw nothing but empty space. Turning back to the child, Mai readied herself to speak when she noticed the red-head was gone. Shocked, and slightly unnerved, Mai turned back in the direction the little girl had pointed...

Only to chock back a horrified scream.

Before her, the previously empty deck was awash with a sea of blood. It coated the wooden panels on the floor and seemed to ooze from the walls themselves. The air itself reeked of death and decay as it weighed heavily on her already frail body as the blood level rose higher. It stained her jeans red as it continued to rise and it, in addition to her fever, made her dizzy.

Mai stumbled back against the wall of the cabin and shrieked, blood soaking through her jacket as her feet and lower calf became fully submerged in the thick, red liquid.

Screams rang through the air making Mai cringe, pain filled voices penetrating her skull and making her clamp her hands over her ears in a vain attempt to stop the tortured sound.

"Stop it!" She yelled, cringing as she tried and failed to close her eyes from the scene before her continued to transform.

Bubbles started to appear in different areas of the bloody pool before hundreds of faces, each twisted, surfaced. Wide-eyed and mouths open, the screams intensified to the point that tears had started to drip down Mai's face as she watched on, horrified at the sight as bile rose in her throat.

"Help us!" They cried in gurgled unison. The screams continued after their words, rising in pitch as Mai shrank back against the noise. Whimpering, she screamed when a head appeared at her feet.

She stood, frozen and unable to tear her eyes away, as she watched the face of the little girl from earlier bob up and down in the bloody pool. The girls eyes rolled in their sockets until they rested on Mai's horrified form.

"_Help us before he gets you too..._"

The cryptic message sent chills down the brunette's spine before it, too, started shrieking. Mai jumped as her tears ran faster down her cheeks as she looked up. She felt her heart stop and throat constrict at the sight at the opposite end of the deck.

A menacing shadow, hunched as it sat in the pool of blood, watched her with four glowing red eyes. It stared with what she believed to be hunger and savage pleasure at her fear before it disappeared.

Her mind buzzed as she vaguely heard her name being called. She felt her knees give out and the hit the deck with a sickening _splash. _Her heart hammered in her chest in time with the pounding footfalls that drew closer to her, tears still clinging to her lashes as she looked up instinctively.

A _'Twang' _sound, much like that of a metal string being plucked, echoed in her ears before she caught sight of a thin metal rope cut through the air.

She had no time to gasp, let alone scream as it neared the delicate flesh of her throat...

_~X-x-X~_

Naru and Lin had wondered into the first corridor they saw once they were on the ship, not waiting for Shojo or his wife.

"So, they said they had apparitions or people walking through this wallway." Naru told his caretaker, looking down at a set of blue-prints he had pulled out of his note book. "Lin. Mark this spot."

"There you are!" Ranka called, panting as she stopping infront of them.

"That brunette, Mai, who came with you..." She gasped, straightening only when Naru grabbed her shoulders. "She's gone."

"What do you mean _gone?" _The menacing tone in Naru's voice caused Ranka's eyes to widen and Lin had to forcefully pull Naru away from her before she continued.

"We came up the gangplank together and when we turned around she was gone! My husband's looking around the other side of the deck but-!"

She was cut off by a scream that chilled them all to the marrow of their bones.

A distant yell, familiar to the young boss and the omnioji accompanied to pained screams and they bolted down the corridor, trying their hardest to reach the front of the ships' deck as fast as possible. Taking a sharp turn, Naru skidded out the door and yelled as loudly as he could when he saw Mai drop to her knees.

He heard a _twang _and his gut dropped. Ignoring or not noticing the blood, Naru dove for Mai and they fell into the thick liquid as the thin wire hit the metal wall with a resounding _snap. _

When he was sure it was safe, Naru lifted up onto his elbows as gazed at Mai as she shook. Her eyes were blank and unseeing as he sat up and pulled her into his lap. Blood coated them and just as he looked up, it rushed off the deck, falling through the deck boards, through the gaps in the wall and down the gangplank. The mess left behind dripped eerily as Lin, Shojo and Ranka looked around.

Shojo held his wife close, both looking equally nauseated by the sight they had just witnessed while Lin looked indifferent. But Naru knew the older male was disturbed by the sickening scene. Gently, Naru lifted Mai's head so that he could look into her eyes.

"Mai." He called gently, wiping away the tears that continued to leak from her eyes. "It's alright now Mai. We're... I'm here now."

The next second Naru found himself hugging the young woman in his lap. Her body was shaking, loud sobs leaving her throat. He couldn't help but look at the top of her head with wide eyes.

This was Mai, the young woman who had changed so much from the girl she had been five years ago. The strong, independent woman he had gotten used to. Whatever had happened before he got to her must have been horrible to leave her in the state she was in currently and he swore to get to the bottom of it.

**~X-x-X~**

**SOM: Mwahahahaha**

**Mai: Um...**

**Naru: Forgive us for the author, she's a bit... sleep deprived.**

**Monk: Yeah. She's not coping to well with nightmares of her own at the moment, so we're also sorry if this chapter seems a bit...**

**Lin: Disturbing...**

**Ayako: But anyway, we're also happy you guys liked the bonus chapter.**

**Masako thank you to the following for reviewing; **xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Krissy2lip, Miko-Monk, Blind-Saya, Dreamer Of The Future and kikifan21.

**SOM: And, well, I know most of you have been on holidays and stuff, but I work hard on the stories I write for you guys, so please review. If you don't like something, then tell me.**

**John: Yes. Please be kind to her. Now stay tuned and...**

**Yasu: Tell us... Where would **_**you **_**hate to run into a demon?**


	13. Case 5: Strange Tides Part 2

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 5: **_The Village of Kage a small, disused port town secluded from the rest of modernised Japan. After a paranormal trip to their case, can SPR cope with a haunted ship and murderous spirit? _

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter is _**'Hymn'**_by Bond . (And, obviously, the movie Ghost Ship.)_

**A/N: ****This isn't properly edited as I'm very tired. So I apologise for any mistakes. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 13; Case 5: Strange Tides Part 2**

The hallways aboard the ship were dark, dank and dripping with water. Mai stayed close to Naru as the team made their way towards the dining hall of the ship. After having cleaned off and calling the rest of the team to the ship with the equipment, Shojo offered to make them dinner while they all discussed the case. Ranka took the lead, making her way, albeit hesitantly, down the countless corridors with only dim lights guiding her as SPR followed behind her.

Mai stayed close to Naru, her hand itching to grab his jacket sleeve but forcing herself to follow their client. They passed room after room as they went, each worse than the other and each sending chills down Mai's spine.

Furniture was overturned, water-logged and broken. Dead flowers lay scattered on the ground by over turned stands and the original lights from when the ship was functioning hung limply from the ceiling that dripping eerily with the access water from above. What scared Mai the most however... was that there _was _no water above them...

"We're here." Ranka's voice broke through the brunette's thoughts and Mai looked forward to see the woman holding open a set of double doors. Walking in, the team took in the room.

A stage took up the space at the opposite side of the room with a single door marked _'Kitchen', _stood beside it. Tables and chairs lay over-turned on the water logged carpet. Each step someone took causing water to rise out of the stiff material and cause a squelching sound. A chandelier, once hanging from the intricately designed ceiling was broken on the ground in the middle of the room with glass still scattered around its general area. Only a few couches looked new and a table with clean seats stood out in their place by the kitchen door. The bright, new surfaces of the furniture standing out in stark contrast to the peeling wallpaper behind the dining set.

"You're just in time." Shojo's voice called out, his fear of being alone in the ship vanishing from his voice once he set a serving dish down on the table. "Dinner is served. Please, take a seat everyone."

The team complied almost instantly, mouths watering at the wonderful smell coming from the food. Naru, Mai, Lin and Yasu sat on one side of the table with Monk, Ayako, John and Masako sat opposite them. When Ranka and Shojo brought out the rest of the meal, they sat at opposite ends of the table, facing each other before nodding.

"Now... About the ship..." Ranka started, filling her plate with food at everyone helped themselves. They all paused however when she had started to talk and quietly settled themselves to listen to the story of the haunted cruiser.

"You see, my wife and I have always dreamed of turning the village into a tourist attraction again. The surrounding forest and fishing industry made it the ideal place for people to just... get away. But since the towns shops started closing down and the younger inhabitants left for the city, the port became abandoned." Shojo told them, taking a sip of his drink before swallowing thickly. "I wanted to start an inn. In the hopes that my hometown would prosper again."

"Your hometown?" Mai asked, shivering as she quickly scanned the room.

"Yes. Kage is our hometown. We met because our fathers worked together on one of the many shipping fleets that came into port." Ranka explained before her husband continued.

"One day, we were walking on the shore not far from here. We couldn't decide where we wanted to build; in the village, or the port where all the business would occur once people started coming again."

"It was then..." Ranka whispered, "That we saw the ship..."

"Let me guess. It came out of the mist with no captain and when no one claimed it from the police, you bought it?" Monk joked, choking on his rice when both Ranka and Shojo nodded.

"We thought, _why not use a ship as an inn? _I mean, really, this down was built on the shipping industry and it would be symbolic of what the village represents... Or hopefully _will _represent in the near future." Shojo told them, barely restraining the excitement that still played through his dream of owning his own inn.

"But?" Masako queried, eyes glinting as she waited for a response. Like everyone was.

"But... Strange things started happening. Things... Things that weren't normal..." Ranka told them, voice quivering as she suppressed what the team could only suspect were frightening memories.

"Like what happened to me?" Mai asked them, hand subconsciously reaching to touch her throat and Naru met her eyes. Chocolate orbs showed how grateful she was to him and his own icy depths reflected his own gratitude for his quick thinking.

"No. It's never been so bad before. We've heard voices when no one else should be around. The lights in here would flicker for no reason and even in the middle of the day, the halls would go a dark as pitch. Even our torches couldn't help us."

"Do you have any specific locations for us?" Naru's question caused the couple to stop and think before Shojo answered them, counting off locations on his fingers.

"Well, for starters, there's the Captain's cabin. If you look in the mirror or drink the whiskey on his dresser you'll see or hear him. I was stupid enough to try some of the alcohol. Ranka was the one to look into the mirror." His wife nodded in response before adding to his list.

"There's also a cabin not too far down the corridor from here were I've seen a little girl. I've seen her twice in there and once on deck. Also, the engine room has this... _bad _feeling to it. As well as the navigations room."

"Did the little girl have long red hair and a blue dress?" Mai questioned them, eyes wide in recognition.

"Why... yes. I think she was English." The older woman told her, startled that another knew what the ghost looked like.

"Mai?" Naru drew the brunette's attention by placing his hand on her shoulder. "What exactly happened while we were separated?"

Mai sighed, before closing her eyes, taking comfort in Naru's gesture before retelling her encounter on deck.

"Well, I followed you guys up the gangplank and then I saw..." Mai retold her encounter with as much detail as she could, pausing only to catch her breath or steel her nerves while she mentally relived the ordeal. By the time she was finished, her eyes were glazed and she was shivering despite the fact that Naru had wrapped his arm over her shoulders.

"And that's when I got to you?" His question was only answered by a stiff nod from the woman in his arms before he turned to look at Shojo. "Do you know any of the history of the ship? Anything that may help us determine what kind of spirits we're dealing with?"

"I think the police said it was an English cruise ship. One of the engineers that checked it out said that it had crossed the Atlantic a number of times but it never made a return trip to... where ever it was supposed to go. One of the officers did point out something strange though..." The silence that greeted Shojo urged him on and he sighed before his answer drew a gasp from everyone. "Because it made no other stop at a port, the police thought that the people on the ship died. The only problem was... they found _no bodies_."

The team looked at one another before they each felt a chill go down their spine and Mai stiffened visibly in Naru's arms. His grip tightened as his keen eyes looked around the room, his head turning in every direction.

"There is a malevolent presence with us." Masako said, her voice echoing through the cavernous room.

Mai quickly shot up from her seat, Naru following as his arm was still wrapped around her. He sent her an inquisitive glance when she turned to look at the stage. The sky light let in streams of moonlight that acted as a natural spot light. A dark shadow stood under the natural lighting, its red eyes menacing as it stared them down. Its figure blurred as it shifted between the realm of the living and the dead, the creature finding it hard to find solidity in the room until the temperature started to drop.

Blood seeped up through the carpet and screams filled the air. Mai wasn't sure whether they were from the team or not but all she knew was that it chilled her to her core.

The lights flickered in unison with the crescendo of the screams. Glaring at the demon on the stage, Naru let his arm slip to Mai's hand before he stepped towards the creature, ignoring the frantic tug the brunette gave to his arm.

"What do you want?" Naru yelled, blinking in surprise when all the noise suddenly stopped. The demon disappeared in a cloud of black smoke before appearing before the young man. Mai physically recoiled from it the second it opened its mouth. Air hissed through its cavernous mouth before it exhaled with an equally raspy answer.

"I want my _ship _back... And I _will _get it back..." Its breathe was putrid, filled with the smell of rot and death, "But I'm going to need a crew..."

Dread pulled in Mai's stomach as she watched the demons red, beady eyes pass over everyone in the room. Risking a glance, she saw Monk and John standing behind her, protecting Ayako, Yasu, Masako and their clients, Shojo and Ranka. Lin stood behind them, hands posed at his mouth incase he needed his shiki. Turning back to look at the demon, she gasp before coughing. The monster stood infront of her, the shock of its sudden movement causing her to inhale the stench of its breathe.

"I require a crew! And I've picked you!" It cackled madly as the team gasped (minus Naru and Lin). The screams started again as he disappeared, the blood evaporating until there were only puddles of red liquid staining the carpet...

**~X-x-X~**

**SOM: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait but I didn't really know how to finish the chapter. I got a lot of good feedback from the last chapter and didn't wanna let you guys down! There's a link to my Facebook group, Malice Followers on my profile, so check it out!**

**Monk: She's right you know. She started freaking out because she thought it was anticlimactic. XD**

**Mai: But we needed the info. So, here you go.**

**Naru: We'd also like to thank all those that reviewed. It means a lot to her. **MaiShibuya, _Hitori15, _Dreamer Of The Future, Ayjah, xSapphirexRosesxFanx, _HarunoMarina, _kikifan21, Krissy2lip and DramaXLifesXAdventure.

**Ayako: And those that answered the question from the last chapter, be happy that you're not the only people freaked by the same situation. Answers included a ship, the bathroom, secluded places (Dark room etc) and a place with sharp objects. All these places I agree with. Who wants to see a demon in those palces.**

**SOM: I personally would hate to run into a demon in a small, deserted stairwell. Like at my school considering the only light is from 4 floors up from the sky light. I hate having to walk from level 2. I'm usually all alone... ;A;**

**Yasu: Um... While she's having a mental break down, we hope you've enjoyed the chapter.**

**Masako: So, until next time stay safe and...**

**John: If death walked up (floated) to you, what would you say to him?**

**SOM: Anyway! Please review! **


	14. Case 5: Strange Tides Part 3

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 5: **_The Village of Kage a small, disused port town secluded from the rest of modernised Japan. After a paranormal trip to their case, can SPR cope with a haunted ship and murderous spirit? _

_**A/N: This is High T again, but the last for a while. Last chapter for this case too. :p please review and I'm really, really sorry for not updating in forever. Also, Naru x Mai fluffiness ahead!**_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter is _**'Sweet Sacrifice' **_by Evanescence. (And, obviously, the movie Ghost Ship.)_

**Chapter 14; Case 5: Strange Tides Part 3**

**~Dream~**

_It was dark. No light came through the portholes to her side and the hallway was cold, frigid to the point that it felt malicious._

" _Mai." She turned to the person that called her, easily gazing into the soft ethereal blue of her boss' twin._

_The brunette smiled warmly before taking his offered hand. After nodding in the darkness, she led him lead her down the corridor and down a flight of stairs. Screeching metal could be heard along with the faint sound of a girlish giggle. The light gave way to a room that smelt of oil and steam, light bounced off the metallic surfaces within the room and Mai quickly realised it was the engine room._

"_Be careful Charlotte. That's hot!" A baritone voice echoed throughout the room and Mai spotted a man, dressed in the standard issue uniform for ship captains. He stood by a set of valves set in the wall._

"_It's alright father. I'm fine." The daughter of the captain was sitting by the edge of a steaming pool of water, the cooling system for old cruise ships. The little girls green eyes widened only seconds before a sharp whistle broke through the air and the captain jumped._

"_Gene? What's happening?" Mai's question was nearly drowned out by Charlotte's scream, a horrible sound filled with agony that no little child should have to emit. Small hands clung to a similarly small face as boiling water dripped through her fingers._

"_Charlotte!" A woman ran through Mai. The brunette stiffened as emotions ran rampant through her body, despair coursing through her veins like wild fire as the phantoms feelings caused her to drop to her knees and tears streamed down her face._

"_I'm sorry Mai. But you have to keep watching." Genes voice did little to sooth her but the authority it held caused her to raise her head and watch the woman, possibly Charlotte's mother, clutched the now still body of the little girl. But something felt... off. From where Mai crouched, she saw blood pool under the small body of the captains daughter and the realisation that she was dead washed over her like a bucket of cold water._

"_It's your fault you stupid man! I told you not to bring her here! You fool!" The mother yelled, her tear stained face scrunched up into a look of pure rage. Mai had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things, but when she looked closer, she could she faint wisps of black mist float off the mothers body as she turned to look at her husband as he leant against the wall, mouth soundlessly moving. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"_

_Mai's eyes widened as the scene changed to the top deck. The very same deck Mai had nearly been killed on only hours prior. A group of formally dressed people danced about the open floor. Music played from behind the large crowd, supplying the entertainment for the night._

_Gene gently helped her stand and whispered an undecipherable warning in her ear only moments before a sharp __'twang' __echoed through the night air. Mai froze as Gene quickly wrapped her in his arms, protectively tucking her head in the crook of his neck just as a sharp pain tore a thin line through her neck. _

_She chocked, an oddly cool line burning it way across her throat._

_When she looked up, it was only to see the people, once dancing and enjoying their evening, fall to pieces right before her eyes._

"_Oh god..." She whispered, gagging at the bloody sight, "Who... How?"_

_Gene just shook his head before reaching down to grab her hand and began sprinting across the deck towards the doorway leading into the ship. "I'll explain later. But right now, you have to see something."_

_They burst into the dining hall, eyes wide after their mad dash through the halls. The metallic scent of blood quickly filled their senses. The scene before them could was nothing less than chaos._

_People lay on the ground, each and every single body missing its head. Blood painted the walls and even reached as high as the chandelier as blood dripped onto Mai's cheek and left a bloody trail behind._

"_I told you I'd kill you. If I can't have my little girl, I'll have yours. Even if I have to use force!" The captain dropped to the ground, head rolling off a split second later while his wife laughed from atop the stage. She laughed manically before her head snapped to the side and looked right at Mai. She lurched forward, hands outstretched towards the brunette._

"_Mai!" The voice broke through the young officers thoughts as her guides hands grabbed her shoulders. She screamed as Gene pushed her backwards, the captains wife narrowly missing the top of her head. Her Spirit Guide tackled the crazed woman, holding her back before pinning Mai with a sharp look. "Mai. You have to go. Tell Naru what you saw. Ask him what a Mara is. Go!" He yelled expecting her to get up when the ground vanished from under her._

_Mai's eyes widened as she felt herself fall._

"Mai!"

_She closed her eyes as a familiar voice called her name and she waited to hit the ground... only for them to snap open when she heard a __'splash' __and her head became submerged in a pool of cold water. She sputtered as she rose to the surface. She brushed the water out of her eyes and looked around the dark room._

_The engine room._

_A small figure crouched by the edge of the pool, hand outstretched towards to soaked brunette._

"_It's okay. I'm not as mean as that lady." The little girl said, her long hair dripping with water._

"_Charlotte?" Mai asked, wadding through the waist high water. The young girl nodded before grabbing the brunette's hand._

"_Please stop her. Stop that lady. I just want to be with my family again." Her plea caused Mai to frown as she was pulled from the cold water before she smile gently at the girl._

"_I promise. You'll be together again soon. Will you help us?" Mai's response caused Charlotte to smile and nod, raising her pink-y finger infront of her face._

"Mai! Where are you?"

_Taking the offered pink-y, Mai smiled before her world went black._

**~X-x-X~**

"Mai!"

Her eyes fluttered open, her body shivering from the cold.

'Wait... cold?' She thought, sitting up and looking around. Her eyes widened when she realised that she was soaked through and the room she had been in her dream was the room she was physically in. From what she could make out with the distant shouts was that people were looking for her.

"Mai!" A beam of light shone into her eyes and she cringed, hand shooting up to shield her vision from the harsh beam of the flashlight. The figure ran towards her, the dark silhouette becoming blurry as her head swam with the effects of her fever. It was only when warm arms enveloped her in a protective hug that she realised who it was.

"Naru?" She whispered. Head resting heavily on his chest as more footstep sounded from the hallway.

"Mai!" Monk called, dropping to the ground beside her and placing a hand on her back, only to pull it away quickly. "What the hell Mai? You're soaked!"

She mumbled into Naru's jacket as she shivered. Too cold to smile when she felt the narcissists arms tighten around her.

"What?" The blonde asked, his torch clunking against the metal floor as he struggled to get his jacket off and placed it over her shivering form. The brunette answered when Naru pushed her away slightly so that Monk could tuck his jacket around her.

"I had a dream."

The statement caused Naru to stiffen as she fell back into his embrace. Her eyes drooped as he picked her up. With the utmost care, Monk led the way back through the corridors. Mai winced when they reached the dining hall. The base quickly filled with yells as Ayako and John threw things from the couch to make room for Mai. Naru laid the brunette down gently before grabbed a chair and his notebook and sat beside her.

"Now Mai. I need you to tell us what you saw..."

With that, Mai retold her dream, from the engine problem to the daughters' death to the murders and the confrontations with Charlotte's mother and Charlotte herself.

"Also... Naru?" Mai asked quietly, waiting until he looked at her to continue, "What's a Mara?"

Naru blinked before his eyebrows creased. His eyes pierced through her before he sighed, "To be completely honest, I'm not sure. Lin?"

The Chinese man looked away from his laptop and placed a hand to his chin as he thought. Silence dominated the room as the team waited for a response. They didn't wait long.

"Not much is known about Mara's. They do, however appear in multiple myths around the world. Commonly described as 'wraith-like' entities, they are the twisted souls of women who died while experiencing an extreme emotion. They also have a tendency to take advantage of a woman's weaknesses. So..." Lin's explanation trailed off as Naru surveyed to room.

"Mai. Stay with me. Monk, Lin – you two will stay with Miss Matsuzaki and Miss Hara. John and Yasu, you will make another team. No one is to go off on their own." Naru glared pointedly at Mai, silently telling her that she would not leave his sight for the rest of the case.

"Geez Naru, why so serious?" Monk joked, his smile dropping when the dark haired man turned his glare on him. Before Naru could retort, Masako cut him off.

"It's a little before lunch. Why don't we walk around a little?" She suggested, kimono sleeve resting gently over her mouth.

"Good idea! Monk, John! Let's go!" Yasu yelled quickly, the atmosphere in the room becoming tense enough to suffocate anyone who dared anger Naru more. Monk easily stood while grabbing hold of Ayako's hand and Yasu grabbed Masako, before they practically ran from the room.

Naru's eye twitched as he sat in his seat, hands clenched tightly around the spine of his note book. Mai's own hand quickly dropped onto his clenched fist – his reaction was instantaneous. Dark hair swayed as his head snapped up, never ending pits of blue gazing into the calm chocolate of the woman who had managed to worm her way into his heart. He let go of the notebook with his free hand and placed it over hers and sighed.

Her skin was still chilled with fever but he couldn't help the small smile that made its way to his face. _'No matter how sick she is, she still cares about others more than herself.' _He thought, noting with no small about of humour that her cheeks were dusted with a light blush.

"Let's go too, Naru." She said gently, sitting up from her position on the couch. A surprised gasp left her mouth when he shot up from his seat, swiftly pulling her with him. The force behind the pull carried her into his chest and her face glowed red when she heard him chuckle. Later, she would blame her red face on her fever, but she wouldn't fool him.

"How are you feeling Mai?" He asked, wrapping his arm over her shoulders and pulling her from the room. She was going to make a comment about his concern when she saw the worry in his eyes.

"I... got a headache... and I don't think my early morning dip helped my fever much. But I'll be fine." The smile on his face made her blush a whole new shade of red. _'It's just the fever. I'm not a teenager anymore!'_

They reached the deck easily and Mai tensed, her experience the day prior still fresh in her mind.

"It's okay Mai. I'm with you this time." His reassurance helped her ease up and they stepped onto the once bloody flooring.

"She's looking for a crew to help her get her daughter back." Mai told him, stepping up to the railing of the deck.

"But Charlotte wants her father?" A nod was all he got as he stepped up beside Mai and lent against the railing.

"Yes. But her mother... Something seemed off." Chilled by her own words, she turned to Naru, eyes pleading with him. "Please Naru! I promised her I'd get her back with her father!"

He turned to her fully, back leaving the railing as he squeezed her shoulder before nodding. Smiling, she hugged him.

~X-x-X~

"I sense a great evil here." Was the first thing Masako said when Naru and Mai walked into base, easily drawing the pair's attention. "It's very malicious and not something we should play with."

"Well, if this... Mara-thing, then of course it's going to be malicious. I mean, seriously, you saw what happened yesterday! It's definitely _not _happy." Monk said coolly.

"Mara are the twisted souls of women," Lin stated, turning to look at them when he had their attention, "I took the liberty of doing some research while you were all out. A Mara, like stated before, is a woman's' soul, tainted by hate, greed or sorrow. It takes years for a Mara to gain so much power however, so the reason for her to have so much strength... I'm not certain, but I think it's more than just the child's mother at play."

"Then... what if Charlotte's mother was 'possessed' before she died?" Mai said, shocking everyone, "I mean... You saw the demon. It was evil. I've never seen... No. I've never even _heard _of a demon with four eyes either. Something had to have gone wrong with the spirit or she was possessed. It's the only thing I can think of."

Naru pondered the theory for a few seconds, chin resting in his hand while he held his notebook open in the other. "That's not such a bad theory."

The lights suddenly flickered and blood once again seeped through the floor.

"Looks like my crew is too smart for their own good." The hissing that underlined the demons sentence chilled everyone in the room. The following seconds seconds were a blur of motion...

Someone splashed through the blood as a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. A scream perforated the silent room before warm blood splattered onto Naru's back and his neck and cheek.

Charlotte's mother cackled loudly from the stage when Monk started chanting, rage making his eyes practically glow in the dark as Naru stood from his seat. The only light he had to go by came from the murky sky lights above him as he dropped to his knees by the still body lying in the blood that covered the floor. Brunette hair met his searching fingers as he pushed it out of her pale face. The blood drained from his face.

"Mai!" he yelled, bending forward and pulling the injured woman into his lap. "Mai! Look at me!"

By this point, John had begun his own chant, bible in hand while he stood protectively infront of Naru and Mai. Unfortunatly, the demon had other plans.

Monk flew backwards, colliding painfully with the wall only seconds before John slammed to the ground beside him. Multiple objects flew towards the pair on the ground, Naru cradling Mai protectively to minimise any further injury. They were seconds away from being hit when a blinding flash of light filled the room.

"_Stop it!" _Floating before Naru, with tears streaming down her cheeks with her arms outstretched, was Charlotte. _"Stop hurting them! Stop using my mommy!"_

Naru's eyes widened at the statement just as Mai stirred in his arms, head lolling to the side to look at the small spirit protecting them, "Charlotte..."

The dark haired boss quickly shifted Mai upright so that she could rest against his chest, carefully adjusting her to take the pressure off her back where her wound was still bleeding.

"_I'm sorry Mai. You're hurt because of me. But you kept your promise."_ Noticing the puzzled look on the brunettes face, the little girl let a watery smile cross her face, her grief giving way to solemn hope. "_If I free mommy, I get to see daddy again. I know it!"_

"John! Hurry!" Naru yelled, his eyes shifting from the blonde priest to the demon still hunched on the stage. He could see the black mist that encased the demon waver. Charlotte's mother was fighting, trying to break free... and she was winning.

"Our father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name." John's words were drowned out as the demon screamed, a golden silhouette of a woman splitting from the dark cavity it had been trapped in. It took only seconds for the separation to be complete and once the trapped mother was free, she appeared next to Charlotte and embraced her daughter.

"_Oh Charlotte! My baby. Please forgive me." _She cried, the response, however, was muffled. _"What?"_

"She said she forgives you. Charlotte never held you responsible." Masako answered for the small girl, tears silently streaming down her face as she leant against a similarly crying Ayako.

"_**This changes nothing!" **_The demon screeched, mist bristling like cats fur, _**"If I can't have my daughter, then I-" **_

A sharp whistle broke through the demons tirade. The bright lights of Lin's shiki piercing the darkness with ease and the proceding scream from the demon lasted only seconds. The lights flickered back on and there was no trace of the demon or any of the blood that had only seconds ago flooded the floor. Now, the only red liquid in the room was pooled under Naru as he held Mai.

"_We're sorry." _A deep baritone voice whispered in Naru's ear. The dark haired boy looked up to see a man wearing a captains uniform stand over him.

"_Daddy!" _Charlotte cried. Lunging forward and into her fathers awaiting arms.

"_Thank you." _The mother told them softly, crouching infront of Mai, _"I can only stop the bleeding, so you'll have to get her to a doctor." _

Naru couldn't stop the stunned look that passed over his face when the woman smiled warmly at him and placed her glowing hand on Mai's forehead. The brunettes eyes cracked open, a smile forming on her lips when Charlottes mother and father floated to the middle of the room and began the shimmer a dazzling gold. Charlotte did too when she turned to look at Mai while taking hold of her parents hands.

"_Thank you... Mai. Mister!" _Naru looked up at the grinning girl, _"Take good care of her!"_

Neither Naru, nor Mai, could keep the blushes from their faces as Charlotte vanished and SPR took their cue to laughed at the two on the ground.

Naru looked at the brunette in his arms, who had evidently, in all Mai fashion, fallen asleep. A small smile tugged on his lips as Ayako yelled at Monk behind him.

"I promise... I'll always look after you Mai. I swear..."

_~Dream~_

'_No! Stop! Get away from __me!'_

_Her hands shook, gun rattling dangerously as her tears blurred her vision._

"_Mai!"_

'_No! Get away! Naru!' Her thoughts didn't reach her mouth. It was only when her finger pressed the trigger was she able to vocalise her warning... But it was too late..._

_**BANG!**_

"_NARU!"_

**~X-x-X~**

**SOM: *cries in corner***

**Mai: Is she okay?**

**Naru: She's just depressed.**

**Masako: Why?**

**Naru: She thinks everyone hates her because she made them wait for an update.**

**SOM: I'M SORRY~ I'm a horrible person! *Bashes head in wall***

**Monk: Hey! That's enough of that! You updated, didn't you? And you tried hard to make it worth the wait. **

**SOM: *sniff* Yes... But-**

**Ayako: No buts! You're in year 12. You have to excuse that you've got a lot of work to do. Speaking of which... Don't you have an assignment due this week?**

**SOM: Um... no... Well, I've been trying to write! I forgot! **

**Ayako: Damn it! Go do the work your supposed to do!**

**Lin: We'd like to apologise for any future delays in updating due to SOM's school work for this story, and any of her other work.**

**Yasu: We'd also like to thank all those that reviewed the last chapter: **DramaxLifesxAdventure, kikifan21, Ayjah, Rissa-RaNee, MaiShibuya, Hitori15, xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Dreamer of the Future and MarisaKamy.

**John: Thank you to everyone else that reviewed other chapters and I'd also like to mention SOM is very sorry, but her birthday was last week and so she'd like to apologise for the further delay in updating due to that fact.**

**SOM: Again, very sorry. Stay tuned for the next case! Case 6: Message from the Grave!**

**Mai: Oh great... I'm not looking forward to this one...**


	15. Case 6: Message from the Grave Part 1

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 5:**

_**A/N: I'm soooooo ssoooooorrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyy! But now the chapter's up. So, please enjoy, and check out my new fic. I'll be working between COADK and that. So please review.**_

**A very special shout out to Jade Starlight.**_** Thank you so much for your advice and it's thanks to you that (in my opinion) the standard of this chapter is so good compared to the others. I hope you enjoy my work. :)**_

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter is_**'No Easy Way'**_by Digital Daggers._

**Summary: **A normal case, run of the mill haunted cemetery, turns into a battle of wills as Mai fights to stop her vision from becoming a reality. Will they make it? Find out in Case 6: Message from the Grave!

**Chapter 15; Case 6: Message from the Grave Part 1**

'_Naru!'_

_**Bang!**_

She shot up, long hair clinging to her sweat soaked skin. Her pale legs were tangled in her thin blankets and she wrestled it off as she staggered upright and away from her cot. With a sprint in her step, she sprinted to the door and nudged it open before slipping through the doorway. The dim church lighting cast an eerie glow over the floor as shadows danced across the walls, reaching for her as she sped through the main hall. Even abandoned, the church was in relatively good condition... sort of.

Once at the other end of the room, she paused outside base –once the head priests office- and collected herself, all the while praying that no one else was awake to comment on her choice of sleepwear. The weather had grown warm in the month-and-a-half since their previous case and that was enough incentive for her to wear a singlet and shorts to bed. Even though she was grown woman, she still had her insecurities. Not that she'd let anyone know that. Taking a breath, she pushed the door before her open. No one, surprisingly, was there. With a sigh, she stepped into the threshold and moved towards the far wall. It was a perfectly rectangular room, both ends acting as a mini lounge and research areas with seats and a coffee table. Directly infront of her, between two tall windows were make-shift shelves with monitors and equipment stacked carefully upon each other.

Mai was certain that the windows once held beautiful coloured glass that sent rainbows dancing across the room in a mirage of colours. In her gazing, her eyes locked onto the dark space beyond the window, where some of the stained glass was missing, and her dream flashed before her eyes. Just as quickly as it had come, it was gone, leaving her chilled to the bone despite the heat. To distract herself, she focused on the monitors.

Just as she spotted movement on one of the screens, the door to base creaked open and she spun around just as Naru and Lin entered. The men stopped in the doorway, each holding a book and laptop –respectively- and gapped at her. Naru's eyes held an odd glint Mai flushed at and Lin couldn't help the small smile that formed on his mouth at the silent exchange between the young woman and his boss. The brunette grappled for a distraction, swearing she very possibly resembled a tomato, when her eyes grew wide. She rushed towards them and out of base, yelling back as she went. The men followed her as she ducked into her room and slipped on a pair of ballet flats before bolting towards the front door, her gun held firmly in one hand, torch on, as she forced the heavy entry door open. Naru and Lin were hot on her heels as she made her way down a dusty, beaten trail around the side of the church and towards the back of the stone building. The sound of pounding footsteps sounded in time with her heavy breathes.

The wind rushed past the trio as the smell of limestone filled the air before they skidded to a stop in a juncture of the trail. Down both tracks, in the distance, they could vaguely make out tomb stones and Mai shone her light through the thick trees around them. Naru hissed a curse as the light passed over him as Lin looked into the surrounding darkness, the blackness more menacing against the dim glow of their only light source. It was only when the light sputtered and dimmed dangerously that they noticed the thickening fog around their ankle and Mai recalled what John had told them.

_Flashback_

_With the SPR office refurbished, Roy (Mai's police chief), had kicked her out of the precinct and forced her to 'get along' with her old colleges better. Something about paranormal cases being solved easier if she was with a professional team or something. Ever since Naru and Lin had returned, Mai hadn't been on any police cases – ones involving _LIVE _suspects- and, while she loved ghost hunting with the team, she felt she was neglecting her other work. After having been reassured that she was, in fact, working on cases that benefited both teams, she reluctantly left the precinct with all her things. She did however see one upside to being in a special police sector. That upside was that she could work with her family again. It had been during her musing that she had checked her e-mail (on Naru's laptop which she had... borrowed... without his consent *cough, cough*) and found the case John had sent. _

_!This will answer the question many of you have been asking since the beginning of the fic!_

_Upon receiving the case however, they (Naru and Mai) had a few things to sort out first. In the day of receiving the e-mail, the pair helped Akito (Mai's old partner) and his fiancé move into 'her' apartment. She had, rather sheepishly admitted to the narcissist that she had simply been house sitting and had accidently admitted she needed to find a place to say. Sufficed to say, Naru was annoyed at her. Considering though that he had moved into his own apartment weeks prior, he offered Mai his guest bedroom (forced is more accurate, not that she was complaining). The pair had argued the entire time that they packed away Mai's things into boxes, hardly noticing the highly amused omnioji that snickered quietly whenever he passed them, arms filled with items. His excuse to help was that he had the van and was also Naru's neighbour, soon to be Mai's too. (Even though he would have helped if Mai asked anyway. Not that he'd let either of the young adults know that.) It was only two days later that Mai showed Naru the e-mail, to which the entered another argument about her forgetfulness. _

_The case was at an old graveyard on the outskirts of Shibuya, an abandoned church on the grounds, to act as their temporary home, would be fixed up in case the took the job and a list of activity and been added. John obviously wanting to make it easier for them as he himself could not attend to investigation and felt bad that, should they take it, he would not be there as the required informant. _

_Reports of people being pushed and attacked were some of the more common complaints. Others included sightings of 'Shadow People' which chased people out of the graveyard. Mai hid her panic well despite the foreboding feeling she received upon reading some of the reports. Shadows were beings that died with sin and had, evidently become spiteful spirits that, while uncommon, were viscous and notoriously known by the paranormal society as the 'mischievous tricksters.' Shadow people were members of the ghostly family you didn't want to run into. Right up there with Hell Hounds and boogiemen. Mai just knew those three would be involved in the case somehow._

_Despite the area being abandoned however, bodies had started being dug up, open graves littering the once untouched ground. Naru had warned her that it was dangerous to be alone... and his words actually stayed with her like a safety net, ready to drop incase she did something life threatening..._

_Again..._

_End Flash back_

"Oh no..." She whispered, backing into Naru and Lin.

"Mai?" Naru asked, catching her shoulder in his hand but never turned towards her. His hand on her bare skin sent tingles down her spine and she felt safe so close to him. To which she mentally slapped herself for feeling.

"Naru. I think it best we left." Lin told him, hsi voice firm and laced with warning.

The air grew cold and Naru felt Mai shiver against him, goose-bumps raising rapidly on her exposed skin as eerie giggles filled the air. Shadows shifted against the trees, taking shape slowly... mockingly. It was then that her torch finally died.

"Crap! It's them!" Mai hissed, hands shaking as they holstered her gun, (the men not having noticed she had her gun holder around her waist. Both men tensed at her confirmation shuffling cautiously backwards before they turned and walked away. None of them could keep the anxiety out of their steps as the spirits laughed, the sound worse than nails on a chalk board. Nausea rose and fell in them in waves as they sprinted around the church. Once inside, Mai slammed herself against the door, grabbling for the handle as she struggled to pull the heavy wood closed. Naru joined her efforts quickly, easily noticing that hte paranormal forces were holding it open, their shadowy claws tearing at the edge of the already splintered wood.

Mai yelped as the door slammed closed, her hand held tightly to her chest. With a wince, the unclenched her hand and extended her arm. Three thin lines marred the pale skin of her forearm, the longest mark stretching from her elbow to the beginning of her middle finger. Blood slowly dribbled from the wounds. The world pitched suddenly, her vision hazy before she collided softly with something. Drowsily, she turned her head and realised dully that she was resting against Naru's firm chest.

"Mai?" Naru asked, eyes narrowed slightly before lifting his hand to her forehead. A sigh left his lips and he glared at her. "I told you not to stay out in the sun so long."

Mai stared in confusion at her boss, ignoring her dizziness and stood up. Her retort was cut short as she wavered on her feet, hand resting gently against her forehead.

"You're an idiot Mai." He chuckled at her weak glare and wrapped his arm around her waist before guiding her to her room. "Only you could get heat stroke."

Lin watched them until they disappeared behind the bedroom door and frowned. Something was up with this place and it wasn't good.

**X**

**X**

**X**

**SOM: Gomen minna-san! I'm really sorry for the LONG delay, but! I'm on my final year of school, so, work takes priority... Unfortunately. But, I've tried to improve the quality of my writing! I hope you can tell. I also apologise for the short length of the chapter, but I haven't had much time to ****myself. It doesn't help that I had writers block! But now I have another epic Ghost Hunt Fic for you guys. Preview below: \/**

_Ghost Hunt Archives 1: haunted History_

_Summary: 'The dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they many act their dreams with open eyes... To make it possible...' Lawrence of Arabia_

_Chapter 1: To the Past_

_The ancient shato lay broken and majestic in the wild jungles of Eastern France. Wild vines and over-grown foliage littered the broken mosaic footpath as birds chirped overhead high in the tree canopy while the sun filtered through in streams of gold._

_Within this timeless place, the team trekked under the weight of their equipment. Each weary from their journey as they made their way to their destination that seemed so far out of reach. _

**Just a short preview for you all, should be up soon. Please review and stay tuned~**


	16. Case 6: Message from the Grave Part 2

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 5:**

A normal case, run of the mill haunted cemetery, turns into a battle of wills as Mai fights to stop her vision from becoming a reality. Will they make it? Find out in Case 6: Message from the Grave!

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter is_**'Breathe of Life" **_by Florence and the Machine. _

**Chapter 16; Case 6: Message from the Grave Part 2**

'_Ring around the rosy...'_

_Chanting emanated from behind the hedge of weed and stone. The enclosed area beyond glowing dully, like the dancing flames of the bon fire that flickered just over the edge._

'_Pocket full of posies...'_

_A cold wind blew from nowhere within the dark basement, howling through the dead trees that shouldn't have even been found underground. The dirt caked to her shoes and made it harder for her as she scrambled to reach the top of the wall, digging her fingertips into the top of the wall and pulled herself up. The old concrete and brick crumbled beneath her feet as she crouched low._

'_Ashes...'_

_Small children, no older than six or seven, held hands around the bon fire right infront of her. Each of their faces was a deathly pale pallor, even in the shifting orange light. It made Mai's stomach churn uneasily from her perch._

'_Ashes...'_

_They suddenly turned to her, eyes sunken and Cheshire smiles so similar to each others that only their clothing and hair styles separated them from each other. Each smile revealed two rows of uneven, jagged teeth. _

'_We all... Fall... __**Down!'**_

_The wall beneath her suddenly gave an ominous crack before it crumbled under her. Sharp nails clawed at her as she fell, a blanketing spiral of white, orange and black combining rapidly enough to make her PK activate subconsciously. _

_Time froze, a soft blue haze filled the area around her and small spirit orbs bopped in the air around her body, a protective golden light emanated from them before her eyes were drawn to a stronger, warmer source of light. A smile spread on her lips, even as she hung in the air, tilted down just enough for the blood to rush to her head._

"_Gene!" _

_Said male didn't smile as he usually did during their greetings. Instead, his brows were furrowed, a dark glint in his eyes that only foretold of inevitable danger. Danger that was just around the metaphoric corner._

"_Mai..." His voice faded, almost like a phone losing signal, "Yo-... Naru needs to ru-... Please Mai!"_

"_Gene! Gene!"She yelled but even though she knew she couldn't move in her PK-LT freeze, she still struggled against her own mind to free herself._

"_Ple- Mai! Get away! Hurry!"_

_The last message came out clearer than any bell chime and shocked her back into focus. The freeze vanished and again, angry snarls invaded her ears, along with her own shout as teeth joined the clawing hands._

"_**Eugene!"**_

She awoke in a state of shock. Her long hair matted and her forehead sweaty with fever. The cold liquid dripped down her face and onto the thin sheet pooled in her lap. Her breaths came in ragged pants as she replayed the dream...No... _Nightmare, in _her head. The phantom feeling of teeth and nails ripping into her flesh still caused a faint tremor to run through her tired body. Nothing had ever been so bad... So surreal before. No vision had ever been so horribly physical. Never before had she had trouble hearing Gene before. And the thought was more frightening that she ever thought it would be. To know there was a danger and then be left completely in the dark was almost as if she was walking blind in broad daylight. The unknown was a foreign feeling to her and she didn't like it one bit.

With a shaky breathe, Mai wiped the sweat from her brow and stood on unsteady legs. A dull throb drew her attention to her arm as she stretched and noticed white bandages, sloppily done, wrapped around her pale limb. Titling her head in question, as if the offending gauze could answer her unspoken question, she wracked her brain to try remember what happened. But all she could recall were shadows.

"What the hell-" She started, only stopping when she heard the door open.

'… _Hell…'_

She jolted at the whispered words, swearing to herself as a chill worked its way up her spine. It had sounded like it had come from right beside her, her ear having felt the brush of a breathe seconds after she heard the sound.

"Mai?" Again, the brunette jumped, but this time at a familiar, comforting voice. Not that she really classified Lin's voice as 'comforting'. But is was someone she knew and that was better than hearing creepy voices.

"Ah! Yes Lin?" She asked, flustering herself more even as she tried to calm down. Her heart was pounding against her rib cage as she was sure her cheeks were flushed a brilliant pink. "Is there something you need?"

She tried to dismiss the unease she got from the calculating look the Chinese man sent her way before letting out a sigh when he shook his head. "Naru has need of you in base. BE forewarned, he is _not _in the best of moods."

With that, just as quickly as the omnioji had entered, he was gone. With a quick glance around the room, she decided after her earlier experience that it was too creepier, even after all her paranormal and law enforcing experience, and high tailed it out of the room. Not even noticing she was in her pyjamas from the night before. Minus her gun and holster.

For the second time in twenty-four hours, Mai found herself almost sprinting across the main hall of the church towards base, dread building in her stomach. If something upset Naru to the point of Lin giving her warning, it must've been serious.

She gently pushed the door to base open with her uninjured arm, the creak of the old hinges making her cringe before mentally slapping herself for reverting to her teenage behaviour. Once inside, she stood close to the door, hoping that if it got bad enough, she'd be able to make a break for her room and go back to sleep. Fatigue clawed at her and she hardly managed to keep her eyes open. Why, she had no idea. But it was slightly worrying. Hesitantly, she called out to her boss slash partner, hoping beyond hope that his rage wouldn't be directly aimed at her.

"Mai." His voice was cold; icy and oddly out of place. It was too rough, too worried for the normal Naru and it sparked her curiosity. "Do you see this?"

Having the most narcissistic person she knew ask her a simple question boggled her mind and she slowly stepped forward to see what he was on about. Each monitor on the shelves had some form of distortion, each with its own anomaly and each just as chilling as the last. The first one, right at the entrance to the cemetery grounds, was covered in what looked like moss, as if the camera had been on for years and nature had tried to claim it as its own. The other set behind the church, filming the way to the cross-section, which Mai could see recording from the room, was coated in ice, the lens showing every little detail held within the frost. The third, and most important as of the night before was blank. No static, no image, no frost of haze. It was just blank. Like a shroud of darkness so thick that while the camera kept recording, it simply couldn't make anything out in any mode as Naru flicked through everything from night mode to infra-red.

"Um... Nothing?" She asked, her gut instinct kicking in as to the cause of the anomaly.

"Exactly." He said; his voice nearly a snarl as he turned to look at her, his eyes clouded by hidden worry. "And do you know why?"

His question was honest, but also filled with sarcasm, which could only mean he knew the answer, and was solely blaming her for the cause. She wracked her brain in an effort to come up with a somewhat intellectual response in her odd teen reflective time, trying her best to ignore how her younger self from her high school days was somehow resurfacing. _'This is ridiculous! We work together, as equals! What right does he have to treat me like his subordinate?' _Mai's eyes narrowed as she glared back, readying her response in her mind so that it involved as much sarcasm as possible to match his. "Oh, I don't know Naru. Why don't you _tell _me?"

He visibly seemed taken aback by her snappy attitude. While he was used to her sharper come-backs since they had reunited, she had never held such a harsh tone to her words during their banter. Not even when they fought on previous cases had she held such a bite to her quips. Quickly gathering himself, Naru responded the only way he could; By blaming someone.

"The camera, which was set up by _you_, Mai, has been broken. You can see it from the window if you would care to look." He realised he wouldn't get a response from her when she just blinked at him, eyes blank. "Change your clothing and we'll go change it."

He watched as she turned her back to him and walked out, her steps slightly lagging behind the othe, making her move oddly out of the room. He brushed it off as her recovering from heat stroke, realising she didn't remember how he had held her down the night before as she tossed and turned in her sleep before she would wake up only to throw up. Sure, he had to burn two sets of clothing (heaven forbid he did laundry), but he was always there to hold her hair back before giving her a drink and helping her go back to sleep. He fingered the barrel of the dirty gun she had dropped the night before, the holster showing evidence of the tearing claws that had attacked them the night before. Suspicion tore at his gut, but he ignored it, focusing instead on what his logical mind told him and that the spirits were jus angry. But he was wrong...

Very wrong.

~X-x-X~

"Here we are." Mai said, her eyes focusing on the tripod. It stood perfectly still, in line with all the tape she had laid down on the walkthrough before she had gone around to place the equipment. It didn't even had a scratch on it and yet the camera was shattered on the ground beside it, as if someone had gone to the trouble of carefully unscrewing it from the stand and smashing it as hard as they could into the ground. But who would go to that effort? She had no idea. "So, if the camera's here... And the tripod hasn't been touched. Then where's the cable?"

Her musing was cut short when she heard a twig snap to her side and she quickly move to the side and stared into the dark surrounding forest that lined either side of the brick path. A faint scarping sound reached her ears, but she shook it off as her overactive imagination. Ever since she started specifically ghost hunting again, her mind had been in overdrive on the paranormal.

"That is what I would like to know. Start looking over there. I'll search over here." Was all Naru said, turning to check the other side of the path, the nagging feeling that the cabled shouldn't have been completely moved off the path bugging the both of them. But before Mai could start looking, she noticed how Naru's jacket was lifted slightly on one side, a small crinkle showing an outline she was all too familiar with having had worked under cover for years with Akito.

"Naru?" She called, waiting for him to turn to her before she continued, "Do you have my gun?"

Even though she knew the answer, she wanted to see whether or not he would be honest with her. She watched as his stoic expression dropped, for only a split second, to show a moment of unguarded hesitation before it was gone. His face once again void of emotion as he reached behind him and pulled her gun from his belt. He held the grip of the gun to her and waited for her to reach for it. When she touched the cold metal, a spark shot through their arms. Naru tried his best to hide the warmth that blossomed in his chest while Mai's eyes widened, only instinct stopping her from dropping the lethal weapon. But the warmth was smothered by something cold in her and she turned quickly, avoiding his curious stare as she rushed into the bushes, tucking her gun into her belt.

They searched in tense silence for nearly ten minutes before Mai let out a joy filled shout, her arm lifting out of the bushes with something long in her hand. "I found it." Upon closer inspection, Naru saw that it was the missing camera cable, covered in dirt and other substances that he couldn't distinguish from a distance.

"now that you have found it, you can fix your mistake." His voice was filled with accusation, his glare firm as he watched her jaw drop.

Mai stared at him from her spot on the ground, camera cable falling to rest in her lap as her hand dropped. The brunette stood, ignoring the eerie way the thorn bushes seemed to claw at her jean clad legs. Her disbelief at his attitude quickly turning to rage as her cheeks puffed as she stomped onto the brick path and snatched the new camera from Naru. '_How dare he try blame me!' _She thought.

"I wasn't even outside when it broke Naru! How could it have even been my mistake?" Through her yelling, she could have sworn she heard someone echo the word broken, but she passed it off as her rage and continued, "Well Naru? Can you explain that?"

"Perhaps how you set it was unbalanced. It would have only been a matter of time before it fell over." His explanation was so obnoxious Mai had to refrain from snorting, her fear from earlier striking her like a lightning bolt as she heard a twig snap from behind her. Deciding it would be better to get her mind off the darker thoughts racing through her head, she chose to confront him more on his decision to accuse her of foul play.

"Really Naru? Do you see that?" She pointed down to the outline around the tripod, her arm stiff as she waited for him to look down, "Does that look like it 'fell'? I don't think so. Someone or _something, _grabbed the camera and broke it. It could have happened last night during hte attack for all we know!"

"An attack that wouldn't have happened in the first place if _you_ hadn't run out in the first place! Which you still haven't explained as to why you did so and endangered us all." His voice was cold, calculating as he waited for her come back.

"I never asked you two to run after me!" For some reason, that response angered him, rage bubbling so quickly in his gut he didn't have time to reign in his temper before he blew.

"Then you would have died with how careless you always are. You're a hazard to everyone with how thick headed you can be Mai! How many people have to get hurt for you to see that? Your bull headed actions could have hurt us... You could have lost an arm even if we hadn't acted so quickly! Do you even use your brain or am I right to presume there really is only air in the skull of yours?"

A heavy silence fell between them, Naru only having realised he was yelling when he stopped and his voice reverberated through the forest. He focused on the brunette before him, sudden regret flooding through him as her face shadowed.

"I see." Dread shot down his spine as he watched as she attached the camera to the tripod and re-hooked it to the cable. With hunched shoulders, Mai walked away, not noticing how the dark haired male flinched as he silently berated himself.

~X-x-X~

Mai's reclusive behaviour continued to worsen throughout the day, avoiding both Naru and Lin until lunch where she refused to speak to them despite their subtle prodding. After hardly eating, the excused herself wordlessly, ignoring the concerned looks they sent her as she walked out of the room, the door to base closing with what seem like a giant boom that echoed through the quiet room.

"I warned you Naru. You should have been more careful." Lin said. Placing down his chopsticks as worry showed through his only visible eye. "Those were Shadow Spirits last night, those deceased turned demonic through time. Should Mai undergo too much stress, physical or _otherwise, _those demons may attain the means to achieve a spiritual link with her. If she isn't already possessed…" He let his façade slip, showing how truly worried he was for the brunette they both cared about.

"_Impossible! _She couldn't… Cannot be susceptible to possession. Her spiritual ability is too strong for them to do that! To get _past _her powers!" Naru's voice was firm, defensive… And bordering on dangerous. Something, his rage mixed with something else shone through is stormy eyes and Lin knew he had to calm the young man. And quickly.

"You were." Lin said, levelling Naru with an even stare.

"That was because-"

"It does not matter Oliver!" For the first time in a long time, Lin raised his voice at his charge. Naru's eyes widened, shocked that his friend and co-worker would show his frustration in shut a verbal way. "Anyone can be possessed by anything should the circumstances leading to it be right. Something you know very well Naru. _Very _well. Demons are not to be toyed with. Action must be dealt swiftly and with precision, least we wish to harm the one possessed by the foul things."

His statement was punctuated by the door opening with an eerie creak, the room instantly chilling and sending thrills of terror down their spines. Both males spun around, ignoring the way most of their food toppled over on the table top as an unnatural wind blew through the room. The chapel was dark, and from within it, they saw a shadow move towards the doorway, their movements jagged as if they were fighting with themselves about where they wanted to go. Naru felt as if an ice bucket had been dumped on him as he started to make out the feminine figure, and when he saw what she was holding, he couldn't help but watch as she lifted her arms, as if pointing straight at him…

~X-x-X~

Mai could hear them. The way Lin and Naru fought. But barely, through the yelling and crying in her head that is. Demonic laughter boomed through her skull as she lay curled up on the bed. She couldn't – wouldn't- give in. She refused!

But she felt it was a losing battle. Her vision kept blacking out and it kept getting worse and worse. The feeling of claws ripping at her flesh only left her numb, no fear or unsettling thoughts raced through her head at the sensation and she didn't have the strength to care. IT was almost as if someone had sucked out her ability to feel emotion. She knew she should have been furious with Naru for his accusations in the morning, she should have been livid with rage. But all she felt was sadness. A deep saddens that continued to sink its teeth further and further inside of her. She rolled over as a particularly loud scream filled her head and she felt something cold dig into her back. Lazily, she reached for it, and the familiar grip of her gun fell comfortably into the palm of her hand.

'_His fault. His punishment!' _

A voice hissed sharply in her head and she winced, eyes widening moments later when she realised who it was referring to.

'_Penance! Retribution! Make it all go away! Make amends!'_

Suddenly, she felt herself moving. Her limbs acting of their own accord. She tried to resist, tried to imagine she was only dreaming. But she knew she wasn't. She couldn't have been because the terror that shot through her like lightning was far too real to have been made up. She tried to find her voice, to call for help from anyone that would hear her, but her throat closed. She was a puppet on invisible strings as her vision narrowed, watching from within her mind as she moved from her room to the chapel, the dust on the ground being stirred by a supernatural wind that slowly opened the door to base. From the light that streamed out, she could vaguely make out the shapes of the two males within the room and she renewed her struggle to regain control of her body. She willed with everything she had that she could stop. TO change fate in a way that would avoid what she knew as inevitable. The yelling grew to unimaginable levels, each and every one screaming for penance. For blood.

'_Kill! Repent! __**Kill! Repent! **_**Kill! Repent!'**

'_No!' _Mai tried to scream, hers eyes watering as she watched him move closer to her. _'No. Stop! Get away from me!'_

Her hands shook violently as her arms lifting, the first lock on her trigger pulled easily into place as a tear ran down her face.

"Mai!" His voice sounded as if through water. '_No! Get away! Naru!' __Her thoughts didn't reach her mouth. It was only when her finger pressed the trigger all the way was she able to vocalise her warning... But it was too late..._

_'**Repent!'**_

_"Naru!"_

_**Bang!**_

_**~X-x-X~**_

_**Shadow: **__**Gomen Minna-san! Hehe. I've had total writers block. Like, extreme. I'm sure some of you will understand and others will try to. But aside from that, my sisters gone to London for a year (I'm so sad, but I'm happy she's having fin.) I recently got a new job in Childcare, which does take up a lot of my time, especially with assignments to do, (and here I thought I was done with school. Oh well) and I have life in general which unfortunately needs to be tended to. *sigh***_

_**Mai: *points gun* That's no excuse! Look what you made me do! *points to Naru* Now he's all covered in blood!**_

_**Naru: It's not too made I guess. This is only fake blood-**_

_**Shadow: Shush! She's not supposed to know that!**_

_**Mai: What? *glares***_

_**Shadow: Um… I'm just gonna go! Ciao Minna! Sorry again about the wait. Not I'm just gonna leave to rest to Lin and Naru while I just… Run for my life! *runs away from a crazy gun wielding Mai***_

_**Naru: Well then. Maybe she will actually be dead. But in Shadows' stead, we'd like to thank everyone for their continued support and appreciation for your understanding. We hope you will continue to encourage Shadow with your reviews and we welcome all new readers to this fic and any others on her profile. Now I'm going to go clean up. Lin?**_

_**Lin: We'd like to give special thanks to those that helped get this chapter out with their support through review. The following how our deepest gratitude;**_

_Kikifan21_

_Moons-Chan_

_Jade Starlight_

_xSapphirexRosesxFanx_

_MarisaKamy_

_(Guest)_

_Dravena Anevard (Thank you for your kind and encouraging review. I hope this sated your appetite for the fic __ )_

_(Danielle) x 2 Thank you for your reviews _

_ReiveVonVielfeld-YuunaSouma_

_**Lin: Please leave a review and she will continue to try increase her rate of updates. Thank you.**_


	17. Case 7: Unwanted Part 1

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 7:**

Left alone once again, Mai must deal with police cases that, now, no longer contain the thrill they once had. But will fate twist for her again? Or will it tear her further from reality?

A/N: Ok, so I'm sorry for the delay. I've been really sick recently and actually had to go to hospital. But, I'm ok! Anyway, I was thinking about doing a Q & A, so review, Private Message me, whatever you like, about me, my stories, ideas or if you need help or something. It's my way of thanking all of you for being such wonderful supporters of my work! Thank you guys so much!

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter. Unbeta-ed_

**Chapter 17; Case 7: Unwanted Part 1**

Mai sat at her desk, as she had every day for the past week since the team had abandoned the case. Disbelief was what remained after the situation. Then anger over being the reason Naru had been injured, thus encouraging him to abandon the case… and then: Denial. For a whole day she had pestered him; to stop joking around and to take the team back to base. So much so, she not only got a response, but she also lost her partner. SPR and the special police division no longer had any connection of partnership to her. Even after the big fight she had put up in the beginning to make sure the partnership never went ahead, she now felt lost without it. Not even the offer to house sit again could get her out of her self-hating slump.

A dull thunk echoed through her ears and she lazily looked down, her head lolling in the palm of her hand through her ears and she lazily looked down, her head lolling to the side as it rest on her hand. Her chocolate eyes landed on a steaming cup of coffee, the dark liquid swirling in the confines of the ceramic. The cause of its appearance still held it in place, the pale hand slowly pushing it towards her. The cup had landed directly on top of her last case file with the SPR team, something had held her back from filing it away. It was only when her slow train of thought concluded what had happened that she realised just how close Akito, the one responsible for drawing her from her daze, was.

"Akito! What are you doing here?" She flinched backwards, subconsciously throwing the pen that had been in her hand. The pair ignored the distant '_hey' _that rang out as the found its victim and stared at each other instead. Akito broke first.

"You've been stuck in a rut for far too long Mai. You have to get your mind off it." His gaze was soft, but also unquestionable, snuffing out any fighting spirit she may have had left.

A sigh left the brunette's lips and she leaned back, roughly combing her fingers through her thick hair and tearing through any knots she found.

"Well, what can I do? I tried so hard to keep him years ago, only to have it thrown back in my face. Then he shows up, out of the blue and becomes my partner and he goes and does it all over again!"

_-Earlier that week-_

_Unbridled guilt riddled her chocolate eyes as she caught sight of the white bandages that peeked out from under his dark shirt. It pooled in her stomach like a tonne of bricks, the very knowledge that it was her fault he was injured made her sick. She had pulled the trigger… And now she couldn't even bare to look at him, shame denying her the privilege as she clutched the case file in her trembling hands; angry, red letters stamped over the cover 'ABANDONED'. _

_The letters blurred together and an angry grunt left her lips. _

"_Mai?" The very person of her guilt came to a stop in front of her, a crate held in his strong hands despite his injury, "It's not your fault."_

_Her head snapped up, eyes wide at his calm tone. She couldn't help but gape at him, her mouth working without sound as her head reeled. Her guilt quickly turned to rage and she shot up from her seat, not caring about the way that case file scattered across the ground. Tears brimmed in her brown eyes and she glared at him with everything she could muster, "Not my fault? Naru! You should hate me! Hell! I want you to. If I hadn't been possessed-"_

"_But you were, Mai. Which was, _is, _dangerous. For all of us." He told her, staring back at her, "Which is exactly why we're leaving." _

"_No!" She yelled, stepping back so fast she fell back into her seat, "We never leave a case unfinished. Why now?" _

"_Because it's too dangerous. You, on this case, are dangerous Mai. You are a liability and until further notice, SPR and the Paranormal Department will no longer work together." His voice was cold, but his eyes showed how conflicted he was. But he held his ground and stuck by his decision._

"_What? Naru. Why? You can't just decide that by yourself." _

"_I can. And I have. Police Chief Ryo, upon hearing of the… circumstances of my decision, agreed and has removed you from the contract and has found a suitable replacement to maintain the terms of the negotiations."_

_-Present-_

Akito looked at the young brunette with sympathy in his eyes , his hand gently left the cup. He resisted the urge to comfort her, hating the fact that this was something was something she had to sort out by herself. Even the Police Chief wasn't going to try interfere with.

"Look, just don't stay here again. You know what'll happen." He watched the recognition spark through her eyes and an idea popped into his head. "In fact, why not come to dinner tonight. While Suzuki and myself. My mother was going to join us but something came up, so we have a free seat. You interested?"

Mai felt the automatic refusal bubble in her chest but she repressed it, instead, lifting her head and letting a small smile flitter across her pale face, "That would be nice."

"I'll see you at the small restaurant at the Crossing then, yeah. Seven. Don't be late Mai!" Akito rubbed her hair affectionately before turning around and walking away, throwing a wave over his shoulder before he was out of sight. It hadn't made things better, but to Mai, it was a start.

She packed her things and grabbed her coffee, making her way home to prepare for the night. She hadn't realised she only had an hour to be ready. Not that it took her long, but she had a feeling something was going to flip her night on its head. And she wanted to be ready.

X

X

X

Dinner had been a quiet affair and within the hour Mai was back in her apartment and lying on the couch. She felt a mental tug and quietly cursed, allowing herself to be pulled back into her mind. Before long, she was fast asleep and walking the astral plain.

_-Dream-_

"_Shit bro. You sure this is cool?" A young man asked, stumbling through the small opening of a window, his baggie pants and hoodie catching on the surrounding debris._

"_Just chill. If we chicken out we'll never be able to show our faces again." The voice came from within the darkness, and it was only when his torch shone through the room that the speaker was revealed, wearing a tight jacket and skinny jeans, the skinner man turned with a grimace, wiping off some cobwebs that had gotten on his shoulder. "Besides, the only thing that could hurt you here are the damned spiders. They won't know if we looked around or not. So you can hang out in this shit hole while I'm gone. Just sit down Nic."_

_The one called nice, in the hoodie, turned his torch on, the weak beam bouncing off the barricaded doorway, showing the only way out was over the top of a high pile of debris. Broken toys lay around the room, showing it had been a child's room at some point, and the paint and furniture had turned a pale grey with age and a vast amount of thick dust. He glanced at his watch, the neon red colours reading 8:45. He got a sinking feeling in his stomach and he realised he was in for a long, spooky night._

"_No way man. You can't leave me here Yazu." Nic tried to bargain with his friend, to not go into the unknown, but it didn't work._

"_Shut up Nic. We've been over this a hundred times already. No sit down. I won't be long." And with that, the boy, Yazu, jumped onto the debris and clambered his way through the crawl space. Sitting on the ground, too afraid to follow his friend, Nic sat, his torch aimed at the dark hole, until time blurred. His eyes grew heavy and he had only started to doze off when he heard a heavy shuffling, like something was dragging itself through rubble._

_Jumping off the ground, fully alert, he started to yell, "Yazu. Yo. That you? Come on man. This ain't cool no more! Yazu!"_

_The shuffling continued until a cloud of dust escaped the whole and a man, coughing to clear his lungs, appeared in the small opening, his blonde hair tied up and dirtied with soot. _

"_Sorry. I'm not Yazu. But I'm pretty sure you shouldn't have been here in the first place."_

"_You-"_

'_**Monk. Did you find the boy?' **__The blonde struggled with something for a second before pulling out a walkie-talkie._

"_No. But I'm pretty sure I found his buddy."_

'_**Bring him to base. We'll go from there.'**_

Mai came to with her phone ringing angrily in her ear. With a curse she bolted upright, her eyes adjusting to the light of her apartment. With a sigh, she picked up the phone.

"This is Mai."

'**Mai. It's Ryo. I've got a case. I had Shina on it, but Mr Shibuya wasn't-'**

"The greatest, I know. Let me guess. Missing person in a haunted building, right?"

'**Yes. How did- You know what? I won't ask. Café don't the street. With the closed inn on top. You know the place. I want an update in the morning.'**

"Understood. Goodnight Ryo."

Heaving herself from her seat, she glanced at the clock, the flashing numbers showing it was close to eleven. With time burning, she got changed, a warm red turtleneck and black pants made well for climbing through rubble, like she knew she'd be doing, knee high boots and tight leather jacket to guard from the cold and her laptop bag was all she needed. Already having the electronics and files needed, she holstered her gun behind her back, put her badge and phone in her pocket and grabbed a torch on her way out before slamming her apartment door shut with more force than necessary.

She stomped her way down the street, long hair billowing with the force of her steps as she raced to the café. It was small, quaint… and it reeked of an aura so foul she had to resist recoiling and she opened the doors. Workers were tidying up for the night and an elderly woman was the first to notice her and her angry disposition.

"Oh my dearie. May we help you?"

"I am Detective Mai Taniyama. I'm looking for the Paranormal research team." Recognition sparked in the kindly woman and she nodded towards a room behind her labelled 'Break Room'.

"They'd be hiding away in there. At least, two of them are. They aren't the kindest, but we've had some odd things going on, and the customers and the workers were getting spooked right away." Before she could go on further, Mai stepped up to the door.

"Thank you. That will be all I need for the moment. Have a good night."

Throwing the door open, Mai's rage from the whole week came to her full force, making her tense as her eyes fell upon the two men in black. They looked up just as she entered.

"Monk, is he-"

Naru's eyes widened before he composed himself, glaring at the brunette as she was to him. "What are you doing here Mai? You no-"

"No longer _maintain_ a partnership under the agreed upon terms. I understand the circumstances fully Mr Shibuya. However, I am here on official police business and seeing as you scared Shina off, I am commanding officer. I want a copy of all the reports, history and any other data you've gathered. With a missing person, time is of the essence. We will work under my jurisdiction, not your won-ton business rules. Do we have an understanding Mr Shibuya?" Her voice was cold as she spat out her words, each dripping with venom and she took satisfaction in the shock that passed through his eyes.

Lin was the first he react, sending Naru a sharp look before standing at nodding his head, "We understand Officer Taniyama. You have our full cooperation."

With a sigh, she let herself relax slightly, "Good then. Mr Lin, run me through the current situation. When the rest of the team is back, we'll have a meeting about how to proceed with things."

X

X

X  
**So there's the chapter. I'm sorry it took so long. But I have been really sick. And I apologise if this chapter isn't the greatest, but I got out of hospital yesterday and am not still the healthiest I could be. But I hope you liked it.**

**I'd also like to thank everyone for all your support with this fic and a special shout out to all those that reviewed lasts chapter;**

_SimpleGreyWolf_

_Iloveanimex_

_TheUnquietDead_

_Kikifan21_

_Kagome Pureheart_

_Gekikara Black_

_Shayrulz_

**I'm going to do my best to update faster, but between work, study and being sick, it hasn't been easy. I hope you can bear with me. Thank you all again for your loyalty! I love you guys!**


	18. Case 7: Unwanted Part 2

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 7:**

Left alone once again, Mai must deal with police cases that, now, no longer contain the thrill they once had. But will fate twist for her again? Or will it tear her further from reality?

A/N: Ok, so I'm sorry for the delay. I've been really sick recently and actually had to go to hospital. But, I'm ok! Anyway, I was thinking about doing a Q & A, so review, Private Message me, whatever you like, about me, my stories, ideas or if you need help or something. It's my way of thanking all of you for being such wonderful supporters of my work! Thank you guys so much!

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter. Unbeta-ed_

**Chapter 18; Case 7: Unwanted Part 2**

The fourth floor corridor was darker than Mai had ever imagined it could be and debris made it all the more difficult to navigate through the old apartment passages. Her torch shone through half destroyed walls, reflecting off boarded up windows and old, plastic covered furniture. Her walkie talkie was held tight in her other hand, conscious of the static that buzzed through the signal.

~Earlier~

"_Mai!" Monk's voice filled the room as he rushed in and hugged the young woman, forcing her to drop the case files she had been reading through to return the embrace._

"_What did you say Monk?" Ayako walked into the room, based in the restaurant staff lounge, and pulled a man in after her before she let him go to rush to the brunette woman. "Mai! My goodness. I haven't heard from you. Are you ignoring my calls? I tried to get in touch but-"_

"_No Ayako. I've just been… caught up." They could all hear the sad tone Mai had taken, but chose to ignore it when the new individual made themselves known. The brunette police officer steeled herself quickly and approached the young man who seemed to cower away from her._

"_What's your name?" She started immediately, forcing Naru off the couch he had been occupying and seating the young teen in his spot before sitting beside him. She pulled out a pen and note pad from her jacket and waited for him to answer._

"_My name is Nick. Nicholas. I'm an exchange student. Please, am I going to get in trouble?" His voice wavered as he looked at her, his eyes wide with fear. She gave him a reassuring smile as she jotted things down before straightening._

"_No, you aren't in trouble. But we do need your help. For a start, who was the person you were with?" She tried to ignore the way the SPR team looked at her performing her other job. The Mai that worked on paranormal investigations was nothing compared to her police work. And she was aware of that fact._

"_I was with the person I'm staying here in Japan with. For the exchange program. His name is Yazu. Yazu Nari. We didn't mean for anuthing to happen. But we were dared to come in here. And then he just… He just left. And he didn't come back! Oh man! What if he got hurt? It would all be my fault!" Nick started freaking out, his breath becoming faster until Mai laid a hand on his shoulder and forced him to focus on her._

"_Now, there is no need to panic. I'm a police officer, Detective Mai Taniyama. I'm here to get your friend back. Now, just give me your details so I can contact you later and I'll have one of the others escort you out."_

_He gave her an appreciative smile as she stood and walked over to where Lin sat at his laptop at the other side of the room, a small portable printer piling up with ink filled pages._

"_Taniyama. The information you requested has been compiled for you. John is working on the witness information for you and Miss Hara is working with Yasuhara to get us the history of the building. They should be here shortly." Lin handed her a pile of paper without looking, his other hand still typing away._

"_Thank you Lin."_

_They all turned as they heard the door close to see Monk standing by the door. "I let the kid out. He seemed pretty freaked out though. You sure it was okay to let him leave Mai?"_

"_He would have only gotten in our way. He's too close to the missing person, and his panic could cost us valuable time to find him." They all went quiet and found places to sit while they waited for Yasuhara and Masako to come back. Which wasn't long. Less than half an hour later, everyone was sitting around the makeshift table in front of Mai as she shuffled through the information, taking notes as she went._

"_As it was, the lower levels of the building, mainly the ground floor and the basement were remodelled into a restaurant and bar, providing near twenty-four hour service," Yasu started, looking at a small spiral notebook in his hand while Naru, Lin and Mai took their own notes, "It wasn't long until they remodelled the first floor into a inn style lodge for patrons. Our client, the current owner of the building, tried to keep renovating the higher levels… But they were always met by impassable obstacles; workers being injured when nothing as there, some went missing from the work sight without a clue as to why or how, safety equipment would go missing… And the suicides…"_

_Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath as they waited for him to continue, but it was only when Ayako threw her shoe at his head, which missed, that he continued._

"_Many workers that attempted to work on the fourth floor reported the sound of shuffling as they moved around the rooms, then a foul smell as the days went on. Then they would say they would see figure by the end of the first week of work, describing them as 'oddly shaped and disfigured, inhuman.' It would go on for another week, until… All those that lodged reports would throw themselves from the roof, screaming that something was chasing them…"_

_There seemed to be a chill in the air as they stared at Yasu, blinking at how he always seemed to make a case summary very atmospheric. _

"_Well… That's great." Ayako grumbled, brushing her manicured nails through her red hair._

"_What? No, 'it's just an earth bound spirit'." Monk joked, grunting when the red heads giant hand bag connected solidly with the side of his head._

Static whirled through the radio before it crackled, causing her to pause mid-step. Something thudded behind her and she spun, shining her torch over the rubbish that littered the whole floor. Electrical tools and boxes of supplies lay scattered around her feet as she tried to retrace her steps without tripping, cursing under her breath when her foot tangled in some wire. Taking a quick look around, Mai ducked down and lowered her torch, disentangling to electrical equipment from her boot clad foot. She stopped however when she heard what sounded like a sigh.

It made the hairs on the back of her neck rise and she could feel the adrenaline start pumping through her veins. The sound of something being pushed and dragged made it to her ears and fear build in her stomach, fear that she hadn't felt in years. It was like her soul was being held in place even as she freed her foot from its trappings. Everything in her mind told her to move, especially when the smell of rot filled her nostrils, but her brain felt as if it were slowing, dragging her conscious down into the abyss of nothingness…

~Dream~

_She opened her eyes to darkness, the feeling of weightlessness taking a familiar pull on her mind and she tried to focus on where she had to be. Gravity shifted slightly and she felt herself right on instinct, touching the floor of what looked to be an old fashioned apartment. Spirit orbs flew past lazily, bobbing around her as if to observe before floating away on an invisible breeze. _

"_You stupid woman!" The shout drew Mai's attention and the brunette made her way through the empty rooms, coming to stand in what looked to be a living room, with the door wide open and a young woman lying on the ground, a large, burly man standing over her. "What were you thinking?"_

"_I… I" The woman stuttered, eyes downcast as she tried to fight her fear and stare up at him. "I just wanted to help you!"_

"_You arrogant woman! You showed me up! How the hell am I supposed to go back there now?" His face was red with rage as he struck the woman with enough force to make her roll onto her back, her lip bleeding from the hit and her eyes swelling shut in seconds._

"_We needed the money and you weren't having any luck. Our baby-"_

"_You're baby you slut! I told you I want nothing with children. You should work and make money. Leave me be!"_

_With another hit, he stormed out, slamming the door as he went. The woman curled up on herself, hugging her stomach tightly as she sobbed._

"_It's okay baby. You'll be fine. Only a few more weeks and we can leave this place. We can leave this horrible man to the fate he deserves." The woman suddenly stopped, silence dominating the room before she started to cackle manically, her whole back arching backwards before she shot up and off the floor, tearing at floorboard in the corner of the room. Pieces of carpet and small ornaments went flying across the room and Mai ducked, even though they couldn't hurt her._

_Within seconds and practiced ease, the woman had lifted a small alter from the hole in the ground she had made and started chanting. Mai's eyes widened when she recognised the mantra, she tried to move closer when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned to see the warm eyes of those so similar to the ones she wished could look at her the same way._

"… _Not now Mai. You have to get up."_

_With a nod, Mai closed her eyes and willed herself awake, the feeling of snapping back to her body taking hold almost instantly._

She gasped as she shot up, her head colliding with something solid that sent her back to the ground. She groaned as she grabbed her forehead in pain, grumbling about 'stupid rubbish' and 'annoying visions' when she heard a sigh that answered her pained words.

"Really Mai? That's the thanks I get after I come looking for you?" The familiar, irritated voice echoed in her ears and Mai gasped, looking into the darkness to see Naru kneeling next to her, rubbing his chin with his free hand while the other held a torch.

"N-Naru? What are you doing here?" She reprimanded herself mentally for losing her professional manner, but her vision and discovery were at the forefront of her mind. "I mean, I'm perfectly fine."

"Says the woman that's been unconscious for nearly two hours now." His sarcasm wasn't lost on her and she huffed, grabbing her own torch and crossing her arms.

"Well _sorry _Mr I'm so perfect. It's not like I can control the length of the visions. And anyway, I have some information regarding the case-" She was going to continued when the sound of heavy footsteps sounded through the room and the smell of decay filled the air. Mai's eyes went wide and she subconsciously lent off the floor and into Naru's body, seeking the protection of another person as fear embed its way into her mind. She knew what was there with them. And she had no desire to meet it face to face…

X

X

X

**OMG I am so sorry for the delay. I've had a lot of… well. Life drama. Hospital. Injuries. Job hunting. It's ridiculous. But I'm here and trying to update all my work. I've got the next chapter already underway, so hopefully I can get that out in the next month for you guys. I just wanted to say thank you all so much for your continuing support of myself and my stories. I love you guys so much.**

**That Q and A us also there if you want to PM me or leave a question in a review. All answers will be answered quickly and posted both in my next chapter and on my profile page. Thank you again to those that reviewed the last chapter:**

_TheUnquietDead_

_14AmyChan_

_Iloveanimex_

_xSapphirexRosesxFanx_

_teddycatnc_

_Miko-Monk_

_Kagome Pureheart_

**I love you guys!**

**Sincerely,**

**Shadow of Malice**


	19. Chapter 19: Case 7 Unwanted Part 3

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Summary Case 7:**

Left alone once again, Mai must deal with police cases that, now, no longer contain the thrill they once had. But will fate twist for her again? Or will it tear her further from reality?

A/N: Ok, so I power through everything to get this chapter to you all! Yay! My Q & A is still going, so feel free to still ask, I've gotten some pretty interesting questions, so I'll answer them all when it's finished. Enjoy guys!

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything... Enjoy it anyway. Song inspiration for this chapter Siren Song by Bat for Lashes (just realised I haven't done this the last few chapters. Oops!). Unbeta-ed_

**Chapter 19; Case 7: Unwanted Part 3**

They sat in the darkness, torches tucked away to avoid attention. The two sat huddled together, hidden between a half destroyed wall and a row of boxes. The smell of rot was heavy in the air, strong and suffocating… And the longer they sat there, the more prominent it became.

Even though it was dark, Mai squeezed her eyes shut, holding her hands over her mouth the try muffle her heavy breathing. Fear coursed a trail of ice through her veins, terror firm in her mind. She couldn't remember the last time she was so frightened, and thinking of the past, that's when she felt it, or rather, heard it. Another voice in her head, a presence within her conscious. The very same from her dream. Mai blinked suddenly, the sound of something more sinister entering her mind. Something that dragged heavily across the ground, and she felt herself start to shale terribly, her heart running a mile a minute as she tried to figure out what was causing the horrible sound. Memories, that weren't her own, played in rapid succession and she had to resist the groan that almost left her throat as she swallowed the urge to vomit. Nausea settled in her gut and it took hold almost as easily as the fear did.

She must have shifted, she thought, as Naru pulled her closer to him, his shoulder muffling her surprised gasp.

The dragging was getting louder and Naru stiffened as the vibrations raced up his spine; the creature was on the other side of the wall. The cause of the foul smell only millimetres from him. He felt Mai cringe against him and held her a little tighter, his emotions getting the better of him as the chill from her skin seared his hands.

'Damn!' He thought, gathering his PK in his mind, his blood already heating when he felt a rush of energy pass through him, a soothing aura he had never felt before. Even in the darkness, he looked down at Mai. There was something different about her power, and the uncanny likeness to _him _as he took more time to examine the aura was startling.

Then, as quickly as their fear had built, it dissipated, along with the putrid smell of rot and decay. The air felt lighter, as if nothing had been there in the first place. But there was still an undercurrent of evil. The sense of being watched…

They shifted against each other, each unsure of whether it was safe to speak or not so when Naru gave Mai a nudge, the brunette moved so that they could stand, a bit of a blush burning across her cheeks and she was thankful for the darkness. Naru took it upon himself to guide them through the floor to the stairwell, making sure to go slowly so that they didn't knock anything over. Once at the door, he tried his best to open it quietly, but the sound of the lock clicking open echoed through the half demolished rooms and the pair was filled with dread.

The sound of heavy running feet, strong and loud, reverberated through their very bones as Naru through caution to the wind and flung the door open. If it was there, then it knew where they were. There was no time to lose. He pulled Mai after him into the decaying stairwell, the smell of rot stronger than it was before as they raced down the narrow stairs. Things, tools and stands, flew past them as an unearthly winded kicked up around them, trying to slow them down.

"Naru!" Monk's voice echoed up to them from the doorway to base, "In here, quick!"

The pair flew through the doorway just in time for Monk to slam the door shut, his Tokkosho already imbedded in the wood as he started chanting, "_Namaku San Ba-"_

They listened to Monk raise a barrier on the door, catching their breath. Adrenaline pumped through their veins and Mai fell to her knees in tears, her body shaking in fear as the feeling of not being alone in her mind once again came about.

"Mai!" Ayako drew the brunette's attention, "My god! What happened?"

Tears continued to fall from the young woman's eyes, her lisp moving without sound.

"Mai?" The concern in Naru's voice shocked the team, but the firmness of his tone made her look at him.

"_I'm sorry!" _The voice was soft and light, not Mai's at all, "_This is all my fault! He just made it so __**hard! **__Then, I found this book. It helped. But then-"_

A shuddering gasp suddenly left her lips as her eyes rolled back into her skull, her body jerking violently before collapsing to the ground completely.

"Mai!" Ayako yelled, cradling the brunette's head in her lap, providing something soft to protect her, "Someone! Call an ambulance! She's having a seizure!"

~X-x-X~

'_Beep. Beep. Beep.'_

The steady mechanical rhythm was the first thing to penetrate through the fog of sleep. Then, the murmur of voices invaded her conscious.

"It seemed that the spirit is unwilling to speak while Mai is resting." The voice was quiet, as if muffled.

"But, is that even possible Miss Hara?" The Australian accent was unmistakable.

"She's right. It's rare, but some spirits understand the strain a possession can place on the hosts body-" A door open and the speaker turned stopped.

"Lin. Naru wants you." A new voice called, the sound of footsteps both leaving and entering making her head spin. "Geez Mai, how do you get yourself into situations like this?"

"Calm down Monk. She'll be ok. And hopefully, she can tell us what's going on."

The room fell silent after that, and Mai fell back into the abyss.

~X-x-X~

To say he was confused was an understatement. He fisted his hand, watching for any signs of shaking, but when he relaxed it, nothing happened. The door to base opened and the tension seemed to evaporate from his body. He lent back in his chair, a tired sigh leaving his lips.

"Naru?" Lin's voice was firm, a familiar comfort in a world of uncertainties. "Is something the matter?"

"In a sense… I suppose." The young CEO responded, turning his chair around to face the omnioji, "But first, how is she?"

Lin took in the young man's appearance. Clothes from the incident more than six hours prior, bags under his eyes stormy blue eyes and messy hair, most probably from having run his fingers through them as he worried. The older man chose his words carefully, "She's stable. She hasn't woken, but Ms Matsuzaki says that she should be fine. The others are waiting by her side."

The young CEO gave a cautious nod, taking in everything that Lin told him.

"Good. I'm… Glad." Lin picked up on the hesitance and crossed his arms.

"Oliver. What aren't you telling me? What happened?"

"She can do it. She can do what Gene did…"

**~X-x-X~**

**Dun, dun, dun! Haha sorry for the cliffy but this case is a bit hard to get out just right. It's the pinnacle point for this point of the story and I want it to be perfect. So I hope you can bear with me. But, a big thank you to all my reviewers from the last chapter:**

_14AmyChan_

_Jade Starlight_

_Iloveanimex_

_xSapphirexRosesxFanx_

_Kagome Pureheart_

_Nikiara Mai_


	20. United We Stand

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Ghost Hunt or my song inspiration from _Two Steps from Hell: United we Stand – Divided we fall. _I highly recommend putting this song on repeat for the duration of this chapter.

**Chapter 20:** United we Stand

_"Where... am I?" Mai took in her surroundings, the blackness somewhat familiar, and yet, unfamiliar at the same time. Small spirit orbs floated about lazily, but there seemed to be a haze obscuring their usual brightness, making the astral plain sadder than she was used to. There was no Eugene to tell her what was going on, even as the faint beeping noise grew steadily louder._

_"He marked you..." _

_The sudden voice startled the brunette and she spun around, her PK raising in defence when she noticed it was a frail looking woman whose alabaster skin seemed to glow in the dimness. Long blonde hair seemed to float from the woman's head as she stepped closer, drawing Mai into her azure eyes._

_"Marked... me? Who?"_

_"That's why the beast found you. The man of Nightmares caused this." The woman spoke as if Mai knew what she meant and a growing pain was overtaking the brunette, "He has touched us both. But only you can stop him. I didn't mean to make him into__** it**__. But he'll only go when __**its**__ destroyed." _

_"Man of nightmares? Who is- No! __**He's gone!"**__ The sudden realisation dawned so harshly on her that the world around her spun. It couldn't be true._

_"Akumu... You must destroy his link to this world! Please!" The woman seemed to be growing brighter as the beeping seemed to become painfully loud in Mai's ears. Or was she just going back to sleep again?_

_"How? How do I get rid of him?" Mai yelled, feeling her hold on the astral plain slipping._

_"Follow the fear..." With a gentle wave, the woman let out a small laugh, "Do not worry. I will be with you till the end..."_

_And just before darkness consumed Mai once more, she saw Eugene, standing just behind the young spirit woman, a determined look on his face._

~X-x-X~

_Beep... Beep... Beep_

The loud beeping brought Mai out of the darkness of unconsciousness, feeling the aches from being asleep invade her mind and made her groan out loud.

"Hey, I think she's waking up!" The sudden voice was deep, but warm, making her assume it was Monk. "Mai. Come on Mai. Wake up."

A gentle prod on her shoulder had her stirring more and she struggled to open her eyes, the light blindingly painful. With a moan, she covered her eyes with her arm, feeling the needles in the other and not risking any movement with it. "H-how long..."

She tried to ask, opening her eyes with more success this time. It was a head of red hair that first caught her attention as Ayako came to her side with a cup of water. Monk helped the brunette sit up in bed, careful not to jostle her IV's and helped her drink, letting Ayako answer the young woman's question.

"You've been out for nearly two days." The worry in the doctors voice made Mai blink, shocked at what the woman had just said.

"Two days! How?" The brunette asked, her muscles protesting as she moved forward suddenly, "That's not possible."

"But it is Mai." The new voice drew the trio's attention to the door and the saw Masako step into the room, John and Yasuhara right behind her, "And I suspect it has something to do with your spirit friend."

"Spirit friend..." Mai whispered, leaning back on her pillows. She suddenly felt a lot older than she was, worry and fatigue weighing heavily on her mind.

"Mai? Is something wrong?" Monk asked, ushering the two in the doorway to come in.

"Akumu... He's not gone..." The words were heavy and Monk and Ayako shared a look of concern.

"You mean, that spirit that had attacked us when Naru and Lin first came back?" Ayako wondered aloud, remembering the chaos that had ensued and the clean-up that took place afterwards. A solemn nod from Mai was the only confirmation Monk needed.

"Well then how do we get rid of him? For good this time?" He was angry, beyond angry. The thing that had haunted Mai's memories, while having brought out her true potential as a psychic, was still around.

"All she said was to follow the fear." Mai recalled, picturing the courage the woman had held on her face despite the fear Mai knew she must have been feeling inside, "I don't know everything. I don't even know her name. But this man she was with was abusive, and she made some kind of alter after he abused her. Something must have happened. Something terrible. Because even when I killed him in life... there was something... terrible about him. Something so evil, so vile..."

"Can you tell us Mai?" A new voice once again interrupted, only this time, it was someone they never expected to see in the hospital room, no less holding white roses.

"Naru?" She asked, her mouth falling open as he stepped forward and handed the bouquet to her.

"Can you tell us, what happened that night? I understand Akito asked us to wait, but if we are to help, we need to know what happened."

With a sigh, Mai nodded, her eyes distant as she recalled the memory.

"It was dark. And I was heading home. At the time, I worked in the cafe under SPR's office. So the trip wasn't any different to when I was in school. But this night felt different..."

_The clouds blocked out the moonlight, blocked out the warmth of the early Autumn night. And yet, despite this and the late night having driven people home, she couldn't help but take the alleyway home, a short cut she hardly ever took, but one that she only used when she wanted to get home quickly. Despite her gut telling her tonight wasn't the night to trust the darkness, she was feeling too lonely to notice. It had been months since she'd spoken to anyone from the days of SPR, before everything went south for them. Since Naru and Lin had left, they had all gone off on their own accord. She had heard rumours that Masako was now filming in a hit show in London. And that Monk and Ayako had been special guests on the show a number of times, as well as John, though his work at the church kept his air time to a minimum. She would try watch it when she could. But time seemed to slip through her fingers like sand._

_Depression was something that Mai had never let affect her, but lately, it was getting hard. She had put anything to do with psychic powers to rest, learning to hard way that if she used them while she was in a negative mood, that she would regret it. _

_She strode down the familiar darkness, head down as she thought; avoiding the familiar window she would usual stare out as she waited for the long anticipated thank you that she would never get. But when she bumped into something that she knew shouldn't have been in her way, she stumbled back, an apology dying on her lips as she looked up. _

_He wasn't took big, though he was tall; but his aura was evil, tainted even. It made the hairs on the back of her neck raise up and she couldn't help herself as she fell into a defensive stance. He stared down at her with eyes that almost showed his insanity, hollow and almost glowing in the darkness._

_"My, my... Little girls should know better than to walk in the dark. Bad things happen in the dark." His voice was hoarse and his chuckle made her feel ill. No one had ever made her feel so scared before, except when she was near Urado. And Urado wasn't exactly human. Without answering him, she turned to go back the other way, towards the main street and the light, all while cursing under her breath about not listening to her instincts. But her plans of escape were foiled when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her back so harshly she let out a small scream. _

_The next second went by in a blur as she was picked up and slammed against the grimy wall of the alley, her head slamming hard against the brickwork and making small spot dance in front of her eyes. A foul smell invaded her nose and made her gag, obviously offending her captor as he shook her, each movement making her skull connect with the wall again and again._

_She could feel the pain throbbing through her brain, her panic dissipating into numbness, a cold reassurance taking over her as she seemed to fade... Blackness encroached on her vision, focusing her on the man and his irate whispers._

_"This is what you wanted? I give you souls? You set me free? Then I give you souls. Yes, it works!" It was pure insanity in his voice. _

_Something inside her snapped, anger dominating everything she had tried so hard to control. Her arm shot up, grabbing hold of his face in her palm. She felt like she was on fire, her mind no longer thinking for itself as power coursed a path through her veins, setting a course of fire through her body. Light seemed to radiate from within and she saw only white. It felt like gravity was no longer an opposing force, her muscle light and relaxed._

_There was no longer any panic or fear, anger or hate, worry or loneliness. There was simply nothing. She didn't hear the horrifying scream that tore from the man's throat; the very sound that had caused those in the surrounding buildings to call the police. She didn't feel her knee's slam into the ground or the blood that splattered all over her skin and clothes, the warmth of the red liquid seeping into her body. Everything felt surreal, like, her body was there, but her mind wasn't._

_It was only when a blinding light hit her that she lifted her head, watching shadows draw closer. A man held a gun that glistened in the light, which if she focused enough, could make out was coming from a set of car headlights. He spoke to her, but it was like a whisper, nothing penetrated her ears until arms wrapped around her, something heavy on her shoulders as she was lifted from the ground, a warmth, safe and secure, engulfed her and lett her fall into a comfortable sleep. _

"And that's how Akito found me. Akumu's blood... It's what must have tied me to him. He was possessed, insane and rampant, doing only what the demon told him to do." Mai shivered at the memory and pulled the blanket close to herself, looking away from the team.

"Mai..." Ayako's voice broke the brunette from more haunting memories and she turned to look at the Doctor, only to get a face full of red hair. The sound of crying came from the red headed woman and Mai didn't even have time to respond to obvious her distress when Monk wrapped his arms over the two women. Ayako held on tightly as Monk rested his head atop Mai's, his figure tense as he spoke.

"Mai... We're so sorry. But not even sorry can make up for what we did to you. We knew you had no one else and yet… we cast you aside so easily. Please, can you ever forgive us?" His voice cracked as he spoke, the top of the brunette's hair getting wet and Mai instantly knew that, he too, was crying. She couldn't stop her own tears as they pooled and fell, her arms reaching up to grab onto both Monk and Ayako.

"Please Mai!" Ayako pleaded, her shoulders shaking with the shear sadness that engulfed her. "We don't want to make you feel unwanted. You're like our daughter."

Mai was shocked, having always thought, in her own mind, that they were like her parents, but never did she think they felt that strongly for her in return. "There's nothing to forgive. You never did anything wrong."

There was only silence within the room after that. No one having the words to break up the hugging trio on the bed. Even though there was a demon out for Mai's blood.

~X-x-X~

"Ok, so how do we get rid of this thing?" Monk asked, pacing around base while the kettle boiled in the corner.

Mai had been discharged later that day, with a clean bill of health, and she had instantly insisted on coming back. Now everyone, minus Masako who had filming to do, was sitting in base, waiting to hear from Naru. But what shocked them was when he stood from his chair and walked to Mai, who sat on the couch next to her parental figures and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"This case, is something only Mai has the real knowledge of. She will be the one guiding us." Naru smiled faintly, something only Mai caught out of the corner of her eye. It was crooked, showing only a small portion of his pearly teeth, but it made her heart skip a beat, seeing him show something almost akin to pride, as he handed control of the case to her.

"Well... Um..." She stuttered, as much as she was happy and flattered that Naru had handed the case over to her, she was still confused as to what actually had to be done. "Well, I know there's a shrine that she made, that turned Akumu into the demon's puppet, and since I killed him, I can only assume he himself has become a demon. In any case, that means he's bound here; To that alter. So we have to destroy it. But the only clue I have on finding it is _'follow the fear.'_"

Ayako brushed her hair out of her face, eyebrows furrowed as she thought, "So, I'm assuming the spirit possessing you will be the one to trigger the fear. And fire would be the best way to get rid of the spirit. But that would be arsine. We'd get in trouble." The legal side was the only thing holding them back from charging up there.

"But Mai is a police officer. With the Chief of Police as a close friend and boss. Right Mai?" Monk asked, looking at the brunette from the other side of the couch.

Mai hummed as she thought, "Yeah. I could call Akito and Ryo, and they can organise the emergency services. Yasu, you can't be in with us during the burning. I'll probably have you down with Ryo." Before he could protest, she continued, "It would be too dangerous without you having any spiritual powers and you'll just be a hindrance for those that do."

She was suddenly hit with a sudden sense of deja-vu as she recalled what Naru had said to her when he terminated their partnership, it must have shown on her face as Yasuhara gave her a comforting smile from the other couch opposite her, "No, that's okay Mai. I understand. I don't want to put any of you in more danger than necessary. I can inform Akito about what's been going on. They should understand what calls for such drastic measures." The friendly twinkle in the young man's eye instantly made Mai's guilt dissipate and she returned his smile.

"I should stay out of this too." Ayako said suddenly, drawing shocked looks from everyone, which she countered with her own all-knowing look, "If you haven't forgotten, most demons harbor servants. I should stay outside with the emergency crews to protect them. As long as I have the trees in the street, I should have enough extra power to keep up a barrier while you guys finish upstairs."

"Then I will assist you. Though I will make two of my Shiki remain with you Mai." Lin added, turning away from the inactive television screens, the camera's picking up no activity. Again, another shocking decision was made, "I knew there would be no way to convince you to remain outside the danger zone Naru, yet too many of us upstairs would not only make it cramped, but also more dangerous for everyone. It's only smart that I at least send some Shiki with you if I am not to be there in person. They will listen to you. So there's even less reason for me to be there."

"So, is there anyone else that doesn't want to be part of the main plan?" Mai asked, worried and also relieved that she would risk everyone on the team for her own cause. Receiving only shakes of the others heads she nodded, "Ok then. Naru, Monk, John. You're all with me then. Yasuhara. Can I get you to call Ryo for me. Tell him it's an emergency."

"Leave it to me boss!" Yasu cheered, pulling out his mobile.

"Ok. Ayako. I need you to set up an emergency point downstairs. We still have a kid missing and there's a chance we could inhale smoke. We'll need to deal with that as quickly as possible." Ayako nodded.

"I'll call my parents and have them send out here with an ambulance. Shouldn't be more than an hour before we're set up." She told them just as he pulled out her own phone and joined Yasu in the corner to make her call.

"Then I guess we wait. You ready Mai?" Naru asked, staring down at the brunette, admiring how much she had changed. It made him regret messing things up again.

~X-x-X~

Night had fallen and a fire truck stood outside the building, it's flood lights shining into the windows of the upper floors from below. A sense of dread had fallen on those waiting outside. Time was ticking and they were counting down the minutes until the plan went into full swing. Ayako had checked all the medical supplies so many times that the paramedics had given up trying to stop her. The fire fighters were on standby, having only been told my Akito that there was a suspected killer inside and that anything could happen.

Yasuhara had informer both him and Ryo of what was happening, and they were less than happy. Knowing that what had haunted Mai's memories was certainly less than pleasant for the pair.

They all stood at the ready, some other paranormal police officers standing guard with Ayako and Lin having been placed in charge of them by Ryo. Though the officers had protested, one stern glare from him had them in their place. Lin just kept a firm hold on the radio in his hand, waiting anxiously to hear the operation was about to start. They knew they were dealing with a demon. A strong one at that. As well as a missing person. But at least, for once, they had all the man power and services necessary to maximise safety. For everyone.

"Lin, you there?" Monk called through the radio. The omnioji lifted the device to his lips and looked up at the building, spotting the man sticking his head out the window, waving his arms.

"I hear you. Are you ready?" Lin was worried, and not just for his charge. He had grown attached to Mai, she was like a sister, and he prayed this would be the end of her suffering.

"As ready as we'll ever be. Stand by. We'll try find that kid first and then we'll get him out to you guys. Stand by." Monks side of the line went dead and those in front of the building were left to wait.

**~Inside~**

"You guys ready?" Mai asked, her black singlet and skinny jeans made her accessories stand out. Her gun rested in her thigh holster along with her torch which she hooked to her belt. She had a bandana around her throat for once they started the fire as a precaution that they couldn't get out immediately. The others were dressed similarly, even John had forgone his usual priest attire for safeties sake. His robes would have caused too much of a hazard in the tight quarters upstairs.

"Yep. I radioed Lin. They're all set up outside. We have to be in and out. Is your spirit buddy ready?" Monk wondered, watching as Mai closed her eyes and slowly nodded.

"She's scared for us. But she thinks we can do it." A flicker in the brunette's aura showed the spirits support to those that could see her and John nodded to her.

"Then let's get going. Monk, you take the lead, since it's your Tokkosho is in the upstairs door. Once that barrier goes down, the demon will most likely react. John, you bring up the rear and bless the entrance so he can't leave before his alter is destroyed." Naru instructed them, making sure Mai was in front of him before they moved out of base, their equipment having been packed up and moved out earlier on to avoid damage. John brought up the rear, leaving the door open to let the light stream in from outside.

They moved quietly, careful of the old stairs. It was Monk's chanting that broke the silence and all four of them turned on their torches once they reached the top. Monk rushed in quickly, taking in the flood lights that lit up the area. There were parts untouched by the light however and Mai was drawn to them and John blessed the doorway behind them. Naru followed the only female of the group while Monk moved through the area looking for the missing boy. The air was still, nothing disturbing it yet.

But they had a horrible sense of foreboding.

John joined Monk on the search. They could all still see each other through the broken walls and piles of rubbish, but the separation was greatly felt.

Mai closed her eyes, allowing the spirit some sense of control as she guided her through the darkness. It led them through piles of rubble and broken walls, until they came across the corner they had hidden in the night before. Between the pile of boxes and the decrepit wall was floor boards that looked broken, but not from age. Fear built in Mai's stomach and her eyes snapped open, the hairs on the back of her neck raising as she spun around.

The air grew cold and the smell of rot filled the whole floor. Heavy footsteps, faint as they were, were growing closer, dread filled them.

"Hurry Mai!" Naru called, getting on his knees and prying up the floorboards with his bare hands, splinters dug into his skin as he called on the Shiki Lin had lent him to guard their backs. It took a few seconds but Mai's hand suddenly shot into the newly made hole and pulled out a velvet bag, once crimson now a deep grey with dust. Naru gathered the wood they had pulled up into a base and they set the bag atop.

"Is that it?" He asked, worried that the demon would get to them before they were finished.

"Definitely. She's telling me it's the exact one. It should light instantly." Monk and John yelled out from a distance and Mai lit the match hearing the horrible thud from behind her just as she set the bag on fire. A horrifying bang echoed from behind them and Naru and Mai turned to see the demon, grotesque and deformed, its fanged mouth hanging open and dripping with what seemed to be blood and saliva. Its eyes were red and so familiar that Mai froze, the insanity from so long ago was staring at her.

"Mai!" Naru yelled, pulling her out of the way as a long, rusted chain slammed down just where she had been. It crashed into the fire and sent the bag flying, but it kept burning. The smell of rot was joined by burning flesh and they knew it was working, but the fire was spreading rapidly and the pair rushed away from the demon and the line of smoke they had created. They met John and Monk in the middle of the room, an unconscious boy in their arms.

"We have to go!" John yelled, adjusting his hold on the teenagers they had found. Mai was about the reply when the Akumu charged at them, forcing them all apart. The fire was quickly taking to the demons body, but was also leaving a trail alight behind him. Effectively separating Monk and John from Naru and Mai.

"Mai!" Monk yelled, about to try cross the flames when the brunette responded.

"We're fine! Just go! Get him out of here! We'll follow as soon as we can!" She yelled, just as a plume of flames licked up from the ground and forced Mai to duck, "Just go!"

Monk wanted to protest, but John tugged on his arm while supporting the teen in his arms, "We need to go, mate! We'll be no help to them now!" Over the roar of the fire that was quickly engulfing the floor they were on, John tried to sway him. And sway he did. The floor shifted under the weakening structure and thudding demon and he was forced to follow the priest out the door. The pair raced outside, coughing from the smoke that had taken hold of the stairwell.

"Where's Mai? Where's Naru?" Ayako yelled, rushing up to them as they paramedics took the boy. Monk just cast a worried glance to the building and she had her answer.

**~X-x-X~**

"Naru! Duck!" Mai shoved the CEO out of the way as the chain whipped out, slamming into her stomach and sending her flying into a wall. The impact was brutal, chipping the plaster wall and making it crumble.

"Mai!" He yelled, weaving under debris while trying to avoid the smoke. He came to kneel by the young woman who heaved as she tried to regain her breathing, the pain that racked her body almost numbing. Naru looked up in time to the chain coming right at them and he whistled, the Shiki coming forward to create a barrier. The Shiki strained under the assault, the flaming demon thinking he had the pair cornered and without escape.

"It's no good Naru. I think I broke something." She wheezed as she prodded her ribs, allowing Naru to lifted her to her feet, "What do we do now?"

Naru shook his head, the situation grim. The entire floor was nearly entirely engulfed by flames and the demon was slowly weakening the Shiki's. They wouldn't hold up much longer. He looked around, feeling Mai pulling him down as she tried to curl in with the pain. He caught sight of her gun and remembered something vital.

"Mai?" He asked, drawing her attention, "Your gun? Can you still charge it with spiritual power?" His question baffled her but she nodded none the less, coughing as the smoke thickened, "I need you to charge it with enough spiritual power to break that wall!"

He pointed to the wall were the flood lights were casting a haze through the smoke, creating a clear target between the windows. "But then what?" She yelled, grabbing her gun.

"Do you trust me?" His sudden turn of question made her blink but she still nodded.

"Always..." Her whisper was quiet, airy even, but he smiled at her anyway.

"Then break that wall. And then we run. Don't stop. And don't look back. Ok?" She nodded again and raised her gun, drawing her spiritual energy to a point in the bullet resting in the chamber, but her hand shook with pain. She gasped when Naru used his free arm to help steady her aim and she didn't think twice.

She pulled the trigger. A thick blue ball, almost the size of a marble quickly grew to triple the size and slammed into the brickwork, charged with so much power that the wall simply disintegrated.

They dropped the gun and ran, dodging the chain that flew after them. It shattered furniture and sent flaming splinters flying, the wood chips cutting into their skin and clothing. The heavy footsteps of the demon made the ground groan and give way in sections. But before the pair knew it they were at the edge and they stopped, one quick glance showed them there was no other choice. To the horror of those below, they jumped.

Mai curled into Naru's embrace, trusting in him with her very soul when she felt his PK raise up to the surface. Like a bright light, it surrounded them, hot and fierce, it felt like it had its own essence. Its own desire to protect. It cocooned them. Shielded them. Mai felt her own powers rise to the surface of their own accord, cooling the heat and calming it, doubling its strength and making them feel secure.

In that split second, where their powers touched, where they caressed each other, they were truly one, protecting each other as if it were destined.

They hit the ground, the barrier breaking suddenly and dropping them to the concrete, both in each other's arms. They looked at each other, a smile on each of their faces. They did it. But it wasn't the end. No. They had so much more to learn. And with the past behind them, they could start anew. So much more to discover.

**~X-x-X~**

**And there you have it. Chapter 20 of Cases of a Different Kind. Thank you to all my reviewers from the last chapter:**

**14AmyChan**

**WhovianMaiPotter**

**xSapphirexRosesxFanx**

**RoseThorn1234**

**Iloveanimex**


	21. Cases of A Different Kind

**Cases of a Different Kind**

**Chapter: Void**

I, Shadow of Malice, would like to give each and every one of you, a very big thank you for all your support throughout the course of _Cases of a Different Kind. _However, Chapter 20: United we stand- Divided we Fall was the Finale to my story. I may continue it at a later date with a sequel, but at this present moment, my other stories will take priority. Should there be need for a sequel, then I will let you, my readers decide that fact. I haven't been absent minded to the lack of interest my story has taken among the fandom, and maybe finished Cases of a Different is for the better. If you want to keep tabs in case I do post a sequel, subscribe to me and stay posted.

But no matter what the case is, I would like to thank everyone personally for reviewing and supporting my story. The top three reviewers are:

_**xSapphirexRosesxFanx **_with 18 reviews! I would like to take this chance to give you the warmest gratitude. You're constant support has been a big boost in getting me to this point.

_**Dreamer of the Future**_ with 10 reviews. You started reading my work halfway through my chapters and I just want to say thank you for sticking through till the end.

_**Krissy2lip**_with 9 reviews. You were there from the beginning and played a big part in giving me the confidence to keep writing this fanfic.

The rest of the named reviewers will be in alphabetical order, so if I missed you, please tell me and I'll fix it all up. I organised it by the amount of times a person reviewed. :)

**8 reviews**

Fire Kitty2812

MaiShibuya

**7 reviews**

Hitori15

kikifan21

**6 reviews**

Ayjah

_Funnhause64_

**5 reviews**

dreamingwondererofthelight

heavenslilagl420

_Kagome Pureheart_

Jade Starlight

**4 reviews**

14AmyChan

Iloveanimex

Miko-Monk

SilverStella

smilingspaz

**3 reviews**

DramaxLifexAdventure

HunnyBunnyChan

MarisaKamy

**2 reviews**

Ariana Taniyama

Blackreaven4400

Bloody Xan-Xan

_Danielle_

_Guest_

lucero1142

mytruthaboutlife

_polaracebear_

thearistocrat

TheUnquietDead

Valeria Ivy Dragomir

XxIceQueen26xX

**1 review**

adonysophia07

AimzVador Inc

akjupiter

AliceWalker121

Amu Rose Cross

_Anne_

AssailantAngel

Beanie Booful

Black Wolf Roses

BlindSaya

Celestial Star12

CheesyDuck

Chibi-Kyuubi-Chan

crazylittlecheezer

DarkRose 121315

Dravena Anevard

felicianoludwig

_HarunoMarina_

IdiotHeiren

ilearnedthatromthepizzaman

LegoalasThe1Elf

Lilac

LoveTheCrazy

lil achance

Mai Taniyama

_Mina _

missyangel87

mudshake

Mai Taniyama

Moons-Chan

Nikihara Mai

_Nini_

Oriax Ailaht

Phantom Thief of the Stars

RieveVonBielefeld

Rissa-RaNee

Rosebud in Amber

RoseThorn1234

shayrulz

SimpleGreyWolf

_stalker_

_Taylor_

teddycatnc

Tomatosoup inc

ToriSOS

Twilight journey

WhovianMaiPotter

WolfSpirit95

_Yume_

Yuna-moon-lovely


End file.
